asynclitism

Absence of synclitism or parallelism; may be used, e.g., to refer to the axis of the presenting part of the child and the pelvic planes in childbirth, to the dental arches, or to the planes of the skull. SYN: obliquity. [G. a- priv. + syn-klino, to incline together]

- anterior a. SYN: Nägele obliquity.

- posterior a. SYN: Litzmann obliquity.

- a. of the skull SYN: plagiocephaly.

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asyn·clit·ism (')ā-'sin-klə-.tiz-əm, -'siŋ- n presentation of the fetal head during childbirth with the axis oriented obliquely to the axial planes of the pelvis

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n.

tilting of the fetal skull towards one or other shoulder causing the top of the skull to be either nearer to the sacrum (anterior asynclitism or Naegele's obliquity) or nearer to the pubis (posterior asynclitism or Litzmann's obliquity). These mechanisms enable the fetal head to pass more easily through the maternal pelvis.

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asyn·cli·tism (ə-sinґklĭ-tiz-əm) [a-¹ + synclitism] 1. lateral deflection of the fetal head in labor so that the sagittal suture is deflected anteriorly toward the symphysis or posteriorly toward the sacrum. 2. dyserythropoiesis.