Purity N., 18

Purity is an 18-year-old young woman who lives with her mother in a rural village. She is humble, hardworking, and enjoys singing gospel music, with the dream of becoming a successful musician. Her mother supports the family through a small-scale business, but the limited income is often insufficient to meet their basic needs, including healthcare expenses. Purity was admitted to the maternity unit in active labour with regular painful contractions, lower abdominal pain, backache, and passage of blood-stained mucus. On examination, she had a term singleton pregnancy with a normal fetal heart rate. Although labour was closely monitored using a partograph and contractions remained strong, it failed to progress. The baby's head did not descend despite increasing cervical dilatation, and significant molding and caput developed, indicating cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD). She became exhausted after prolonged obstructed labour, placing both her and the baby at risk of serious complications. An emergency obstetric intervention was therefore undertaken to ensure the safe delivery of the baby and protect the lives of both mother and child.

Purity has been diagnosed with obstructed labour secondary to cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD), an obstetric emergency requiring urgent surgical intervention. Continued labour places both the mother and baby at high risk of uterine rupture, severe bleeding, infection, fetal distress, brain injury, or death. An emergency Caesarean section has therefore been recommended as the safest mode of delivery. If the operation is performed promptly and appropriate postoperative care is provided, the prognosis for both mother and baby is expected to be favorable. Any delay in intervention may significantly increase the risk of serious maternal and neonatal complications.