Wood's screw maneuver explained

Wood's screw maneuver is practiced in obstetrics when dealing with shoulder dystocia – a condition in which the fetal shoulders cannot easily pass through the vagina. In this maneuver the anterior shoulder is pushed towards the baby's chest, and the posterior shoulder is pushed towards the baby's back,^[1] making the baby's head somewhat face the mother's rectum.

This maneuver is tried only after the McRoberts maneuver, and application of suprapubic (lower abdomen) pressure have been tried.^[2]

It is named after Wood, who was the first to examine this maneuver in detail.^[2]

See also

• McRoberts maneuver
• Zavanelli maneuver
• Shoulder dystocia
• The mechanics of birth

Notes and References

1. Book: Kish, Karen. Joseph V. Collea . Alan H. DeCherney. Lauren Nathan. Current Obstetric & Gynecologic Diagnosis & Treatment. Ninth. 2003. Lange/McGraw-Hill. 0-07-118207-1. 382. Malpresentation & Cord Prolapse (Chapter 21).
2. Web site: Can shoulder dystocia be resolved without fetal injury when it does occur? The management of shoulder dystocia . Henry . Lerner . shoulderdystociainfo.com . 2017 . 2020-01-13.