Psychological factors impeding the progress of labor: case observations and the need for a multidisciplinary approach.
Halime Şule Selman, Neşe Karabekir
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
This report describes four labor cases with impaired or arrested progression and psychological factors, without identifiable obstetric pathology. The factors included negative childbirth conditioning, acute grief, fear of maternal inadequacy, and previous birth trauma. Two women underwent emergency cesarean delivery for fetal distress after labor arrest and later had uncomplicated vaginal births after cesarean following birth psychotherapy. In another case, labor resumed after a 30-minute remote psychological consultation, with vaginal birth approximately 30 minutes later. The fourth woman had a successful vaginal birth after cesarean with antenatal psychotherapy and continuous multidisciplinary support.
What made this case unusual
In one case, labor arrested at 7 cm dilation and resumed after a brief remote psychological consultation, followed by vaginal birth approximately 30 minutes later; the report does not establish that the consultation caused this change.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
When labor progression is impaired without identifiable obstetric pathology, psychological distress may be a contributing factor in selected cases; consider individualized psychological support alongside obstetric and midwifery care.
Why it matters
These descriptive observations illustrate a possible role for collaborative psychological support, while their small case-series design does not permit causal conclusions.