Management of obstructed labour: A review of the concept of susruta samhita

Obstructed labour is an emergency situation for the obstetricians. If appropriate measure will not be taken promptly with sufficient expertise then it may prove to be fatal not only to the baby inside the utero but also to the mother. Early diagnosis of obstructed labour may be proved to be the boon to the family. Obstructed labour is a situation that gives rise to difficulty in delivery of the child through the natural route (vagina) and may arise due to (1) mal presentation and (2)contracted pelvis in relation to the head of the foetus which is the natural presenting part. Mal presentation means and indicates progress of the part of the body of the child towards the path of delivery which is not the vertex (head). In this situation the presenting part may be hand(s), feet(s), buttock or breech (back). Expulsion of these parts through the natural route of the mother is not possible unless there will be external interference and assistance. In such situations delay in delivery may cause death of the foetus which is followed by further complications including serious manifestations on the mother including death. Hence the modern obstetrics discuss obstructed labour with utmost importance. In concern with the topic, when searched seriously, it is observed that, Susruta, the father of Indian surgery, in Susruta Samhita, before thousands of years of Christ, discuss with importance and priority. In this article effort is made by the author to throw light on the concept of obstructed labour management which can be corelated with Mudhagarbha chikitsa to disseminate the interesting facts and ideas of the scholar. Hope the academicians, scholars and researchers will get valuable informations related to the topic from the present article.