Narrow Pelvis

The shape and size of a woman's pelvis are of great importance for normal labor (see Childbirth). Therefore, measurement of the pelvis must be carried out by a doctor at the antenatal clinic. A narrow pelvis (see picture) can be a serious obstacle to the passage of the fetus, especially its head. In this case, childbirth, as a rule, is complicated, delayed and sometimes has an unfavorable outcome.

The degree of narrowing of the pelvis can be so strong that the discrepancy between the sizes of the pelvis and the fetal head is very pronounced. This can lead to birth injury to the fetus (see Birth injury in newborns) and other serious complications. Therefore, in this case it is necessary to resort to various obstetric operations (for example, caesarean section).

Such a discrepancy between the sizes of the small pelvis and the fetal head can occur even with relatively normal pelvic sizes, but in the presence of a large fetus. In these cases, they talk about the so-called clinically narrow pelvis. Women with a narrow pelvis or a large fetus are sent to the maternity hospital pathology department 2 weeks before giving birth. With such early hospitalization, many complications associated with a narrow pelvis can be avoided.

A narrow pelvis can be a consequence of infantilism (underdevelopment of the genital organs), rickets, tuberculosis of the hip joint (see Tuberculosis) and other diseases that cause various deformities of the pelvis.

Therefore, in the prevention of narrow pelvis, great importance is attached to the fight against infantilism and other diseases in childhood, which have an inhibitory effect on the sexual development of a girl.

Prevention of rickets is of particular importance.