Healthy Child Programme: final report
6.1.4. Problems During Delivery
Respondents were provided with the following options for problems during delivery and asked if the list was appropriate:
- Shoulder dystocia
- Foetal heart deceleration
- Cord prolapse
- Acute foetal compromise
- Foetal acidaemia
- Meconium Aspiration Syndrome
- Acute foetal blood loss
A thematic analysis of the qualitative responses identified the following common themes and the project team’s recommended response
| Problems during delivery | Recommended Response |
|---|---|
| Foetal heart deceleration is common and can be a normal part of labour | Remove these options and replace with ‘Foetal distress’ |
| Acute foetal compromise was felt to be vague | |
| Foetal acidaemia is not an isolated finding and is usually because of one of the other problems during delivery | |
| Meconium Aspiration Syndrome is diagnosed after the birth however Meconium Aspiration may be present at birth | Change to ‘Meconium Aspiration’ |
Page last updated: 30 March 2026