dystocia

From Ancient Greek δυστοκία (dustokía, “difficult childbirth”), from δυσ- (dus-, “bad”) + τόκος (tókos, “childbirth”), from τίκτω (tíktō, “I give birth”).

• (General American) IPA^(key): /dɪsˈtoʊʃə/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /dɪsˈtəʊʃə/

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• Hyphenation: dys‧to‧cia

dystocia (countable and uncountable, plural dystocias)

1. (medicine, veterinary medicine) A slow or difficult labour or delivery.
   • 2005, James Mahoney, “Primate Management: Medical Care”, in Sonia Wolfe-Coote, editor, The Laboratory Primate, page 256:

     In macaques, baboons and chimpanzees, dystocia because of breech birth is the commonest category of fetal death. […] Breech dystocia is rarely a problem for mother or neonates in small, multitocus species like marmosets and tamarins.

   • 2006, Richard Aghababian, Essentials of Emergency Medicine‎, page 480:

     Dystocia is defined as difficult delivery. Pelvic dystocia is due to aberrations of the pelvic architecture and its relationship to the presenting fetal part. […] Fetal dystocia may be due to excessive fetal size from gestational diabetes or congenital anomalies.

   • 2008, Dan Rice, The Complete Book of Dog Breeding, 2nd edition, page 96:

     Although fetal dystocias are sometimes relieved by manipulation and instrumentation, cesarean sections are often the only practical methods of treatment.

   • 2009, James A. O′Leary, Shoulder Dystocia and Birth Injury: Prevention and Treatment, page 102:

     It is an appropriate way to allow resolution of the dystocia, after clearing the airway and checking for a nuchal cord.
     The prevailing thinking is that the time window in which to resolve a shoulder dystocia before asphyxial insult (not injury) is about 4 minutes.

• (antonym(s) of “difficult childbirth”): eutocia

• dystocial