Obstetric Anatomy: Normal and Abnormal Labor

As the mechanism of labor is essentially a process of accommodation between the fetus and the passage through which it must pass, it is apparent that obstetrics lacked a scientific foundation until the anatomy of the bony pelvis and of the soft parts connected with it was clearly understood (J. Whitridge Williams). The WHO defines normal birth as: spontaneous in onset, low-risk throughout labor and delivery, the infant is born spontaneously in the vertex position between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy, and after birth, mother and infant are in good condition. The three main factors associated with abnormal labor are the power (inadequate uterine contractions), the passage (abnormal pelvic anatomy), and the passenger (eg, macrosomia or malpresentation). This book provides a comprehensive review of maternal and fetal obstetric anatomy, emphasizing the mechanism and management of normal and abnormal labor, which will be of immense value for obstetricians and allied health professionals.



Prof. Dr. Akmal Nabil Ahmad El-Mazny, MD, FICS

Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Consultant of Reproductive and Endoscopic Surgery

Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt