Final answer:
Maternal exhaustion and fatigue is the assessment finding associated with an increased risk for a forceps-assisted birth, as it can lead to inadequate pushing during delivery.
Step-by-step explanation:
An assessment finding in a patient that is associated with an increased risk for a forceps-assisted birth is maternal exhaustion and fatigue (C). Mother's fatigue can lead to inadequate pushing during delivery which may necessitate the use of forceps to assist in the birth process. In contrast, strong uterine contractions and fetal presentation in the occiput anterior position are generally favorable for childbirth. Fetal distress, characterized by a sustained decrease or increase in fetal heart rate, could lead to an emergency birth by means such as vacuum or forceps, but consistent fetal heart rate variability is a normal finding and not associated with forceps delivery.