Shoulder dystocia is a huge red flag necessitating the Gillespie Approach.
A one-week-old infant had a very traumatic birth. He had right nasolacrimal duct blockage, causing a goopy eye.
Mom was induced at 39 weeks. After she pushed four times over a period of twenty minutes, his head presented but shoulder got stuck.
Since shoulder dystocia cannot be predicted, the birth team needs to be prepared for it. They used the McRoberts and Woods screw maneuvers with suprapubic pressure for a successful delivery.
He had some bruise marks, but his brachial plexus was intact. His Apgar scores were 2, 7, and 9, indicating a rough start in life.
Red flag number two was a wrapped umbilical cord. He presented blue and needed oxygen until he could breathe on his own.
On my examination, his fascial web was loose from his diaphragm down to his feet. Fascial strain extended from his scapulae into his neck and head, resulting in a zero-second brain cycle.
I found that his neck fascial strain was extending into his right nasolacrimal duct area. Pediatricians generally see this blockage as a separate condition, but I view it as fascia pulling from one part of the body into another part.
During the first visit, his entire upper body released beautifully. Surprisingly, I found minimal neck strain from the umbilical cord.
The medical concern with shoulder dystocia is always around possible brachial plexus damage. Once that issue was cleared, the baby was good to go in the doctor’s mind. But, in our world, his resulting fascial strain could possibly cause health issues for a lifetime.
It will be a great day when the medical profession adds our therapy to their toolbox to result in truly healthy and happy shoulder dystocia babies. Gillespie Approach Training is a must for all birth professionals.
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