gms | German Medical Science

Objectives/Interrogation: Traumatic deliveries occur at a rate of 29 per 1000 births in the United States. Shoulder dystocia delivery, specifically, is seen, in 0.2 to 3.0% of all vaginal births posing a risk for brachial plexus birth palsy to the child. Frequent exposure to traumatic birth events that have high rates of secondary complications is suggested to correlate with secondary traumatic stress or depression symptoms. Parents have been found to exhibit secondary traumatic stress symptoms, however, it is unknown whether obstetrical providers are just as, if not more, susceptible to such diagnoses. The purpose of this study is to determine if shoulder dystocia deliveries potentiates secondary traumatic stress syndrome and depression in obstetrical providers following a shoulder dystocia delivery.

Methods: A thirty-eight question survey was distributed to obstetrical providers in three health systems in the metropolitan Baltimore region. Secondary traumatic stress was measured via the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale while depressive symptoms were evaluated using the PHQ-9 questionnaire included in the survey. Simple statistics were performed to analyze the data.

Results and Conclusions: Eighty-five obstetrical providers including residents, attendings, nurse-midwives, and medical students participated in this study. A significant relationship between exposure to a shoulder dystocia delivery and prevalence of secondary traumatic stress syndrome and depression could not be established. Secondary Traumatic Stress scale scores (range: 34.5-39.2) indicated that moderate or severe (STS scores > 49) levels of secondary traumatic stress was not exhibited. Similarly, the PHQ-9 scores (4.9-6.6) did not demonstrate a moderate to severe (PHQ-9 scores > 10) level of depression. Despite 44.7% of the sample regularly attending shoulder dystocia deliveries, only 28.2% of participants believed they had adequate training for shoulder dystocia deliveries.

Obstetrical providers do not experience secondary traumatic stress and depression following shoulder dystocia deliveries. It is possible that providers have outlets and/or training following to know how to cope with these deliveries. Unlike parents of brachial plexus birth palsy patients, obstetrical providers do not experience secondary stress syndrome and depression following shoulder dystocia deliveries.