ABSTRACT
During a two year period, 305 women with obstructed labour were admitted; they formed 3.32% of 9200 deliveries. A total of 280 [91.8%] cases presented with prolonged labour and ruptured membranes, the duration of labour lasting, upto 70 hours. The causes of obstructed labour included 135 [44.26%] cases due to cephalopelvic disproportion, 68 [22.3%] due to malpositions of foetal head, 67 [21.96%] due to malpresentations, 12 [3.94%] due to other causes, and in 23 [7.54%], the cause was not known. The mode of delivery of the women was Caesarean section in 241 [79.02%], Caesarean hysterectomy in 24 [7.87%], destructive operations in 16 [5.15%]: in 4 women [1.31%], repair of uterine rupture was carried out. There were 12 maternal deaths, one woman, admitted moribund, died undelivered shortly after admission; 10 died due to sepsis, and 1 with ruptured uterus died due to pulmonary embolism. As regards foetal outcome, 106 [34.87%] babies were stillborn; 198 [65.13%] were liveborn; of the latter, 15 died neonatally, thus the perinatal loss was 121 i.e. 398.03/1000