Key clinical point: Weekly 3-hour simulation-based training of midwives and doctors on shoulder dystocia (SD) management significantly reduced the incidence of permanent brachial plexus birth injury (BPBI).
Major finding: Despite an increase in the incidence of SD cases (0.1% vs 0.3%; P < .001) and risk factors in pre-training vs post-training period, the incidence of permanent BPBI decreased significantly (0.05% vs 0.02%; P < .001), with the risk for permanent BPBI among those with SD reducing (43.5% vs 6.0%; P < .001) and the rate of successful posterior arm delivery increasing (11.3% vs 23.4%; P = .04) significantly after the implementation of systematic simulation-based training.
Study details: Findings are from a retrospective observational study including 113,785 vertex deliveries performed by a team of doctors and midwives after receiving the weekly 3-hour simulation-based training.
Disclosures: This study was funded by Helsinki University State Research Funding. No conflicts of interest were declared.
Source: Kaijomaa M et al. Impact of simulation training on the management of shoulder dystocia and incidence of permanent brachial plexus birth injury: An observational study. BJOG. 2022 (Aug 10). Doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.17278