Prevention of shoulder dystocia related birth injuries: Myths and facts

Table 6 Head-to-body delivery times in 103 cases of shoulder dystocia related neonatal neurological damage

Head-to-body interval	Number of cases
0-1 min	32
1-2 min	38
2-3 min	12
3-4 min	5
4-5 min	8
5-6 min	2
6-7 min	2
7-8 min	2
8-9 min	0
9-10 min	2

Note that in 82 instances (80%) delivery involving neurological injury of the child was accomplished within 3 min. Before 1973 these cases would not have been classified as shoulder dystocia. Because delay of the next contraction by 5 min does not endanger the fetus, the use of traction was unnecessary in the majority of these cases.