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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Influence of fixed and time-dependent factors on duration of normal first stage labor.

BACKGROUND: No accurate method, clinical or otherwise, currently exists to determine the onset of labor precisely. The objective of this study was to investigate what influences the duration of first stage labor in women with spontaneous labor and childbirth in a nonclinical setting. METHODS: From a population-based cohort of 1,448 planned home and birth center births, we selected 932 births for absence of pathology, absence of intervention, and completeness of data. Duration of first stage labor was analyzed with regression analysis for duration data or time-to-event analysis, using a specialized Transition Data Analysis software. The effects of fixed (age, parity, education, antenatal classes, infant birthweight, first cervical assessment) and time-varying factors (start of midwifery care, spontaneous rupture of membranes) in labor were estimated with piecewise-constant exponential hazard models. RESULTS: Of the characteristics immutable at the onset of labor, only parity had a strong effect on the duration of first stage labor. Cervical dilatation at first assessment and time-varying factors, such as the timing of spontaneous rupture of membranes and midwifery care, each had a strong influence on labor duration; however, the sequence in which they occurred exerted an even stronger influence. First stage labors were much shorter if the membranes ruptured before rather than after the start of care. CONCLUSION: With the exception of parity, events occurring during labor and their timing have a greater influence on the duration of first stage spontaneous labor than elements which are immutable at the onset of labor. Trials of interventions to influence the duration of labor need to consider not only whether the intervention was applied or not, but also when it was applied, if cause-effect relationships are to become properly understood.

Adult↗

Intrauterine pressure wave form characteristics of successful and failed first stage labor.

A retrospective study was designed to contrast the intrauterine pressure wave form characteristics of hypocontractile labor in patients with and without obstruction and before and after oxytocin therapy. No differences were observed between the patient groups (vaginal delivery vs. cesarean section), either before or after oxytocin. Problems in defining adequate contractility in patients with possible obstructed labors are discussed, and new parameters of potential value are identified.

Cesarean Section↗

First stage labor management: An examination of patterned breathing and fatigue.

BACKGROUND: Patterned breathing is one way that women cope with labor. Fatigue is a frequently reported symptom over which women and caregivers have little control. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the use of patterned breathing, a traditional intervention, and the level of fatigue reported during the first stage of labor. METHOD: A secondary analysis was conducted on a subset (n = 56) of a prospective longitudinal study of fatigue during the intrapartum period. The sample comprised primiparous women in labor whose fatigue was measured every two hours for six hours after admission. At each data point the investigator evaluated the method of breathing that participants used. RESULTS: During the latent phase of labor, women using patterned breathing exhibited significantly more fatigue. In the active phase, differences between groups were not significant. Controlling for age, education, and marital status of participants did not change the results. CONCLUSIONS: It is appropriate for nurses, midwives, physicians, and doulas to encourage the use of patterned breathing as an intervention in active labor; however, patterned breathing may increase the mother's fatigue level if begun too early.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

The length of active labor in normal pregnancies.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the length of active labor (first and second stages) in a low-risk population of non-Hispanic white, Hispanic, and American Indian women, and to identify any differences among these ethnic populations. METHODS: Descriptive statistics are presented for 1473 low-risk women at term who delivered at the University of New Mexico Hospital. Data examined by ethnicity included demographics, intrapartum care and complications, and duration of the active-phase first stage (4 cm to complete cervical dilatation) and second stage (complete cervical dilatation to delivery) of labor. RESULTS: Compared with Friedman's criteria, 20% of these low-risk women had a prolonged active phase of the first stage, and 4% had a prolonged second stage, without excess maternal or infant morbidity. The mean length of active-phase, first-stage labor was 7.7 hours for nulliparas and 5.7 hours for multiparas (statistical limits 19.4 and 13.7 hours, respectively), with no differences according to ethnic group. The mean length of second stage was 53 minutes for nulliparas and 17 minutes for multiparas (statistical limits 147 and 57 minutes, respectively). American Indian nulliparas had significantly shorter second stages than non-Hispanic white women (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Active labor in healthy women lasted longer than is widely appreciated. Upward revision of clinical expectations for the length of active labor is warranted.

Adult↗

Minimum analgesic dose of epidural sufentanil for first-stage labor analgesia: a comparison between spontaneous and prostaglandin-induced labors in nulliparous women.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this prospective, double-blind, sequential allocation study was to compare the effects of spontaneous and prostaglandin-induced labor on the minimum analgesic dose of epidural sufentanil in the first stage of labor. METHODS: Seventy healthy, nulliparous women, at more than 37 weeks' gestation with cervical dilatation from 2 to 4 cm, requesting epidural pain relief in labor were enrolled. The subjects were assigned to two different groups according to whether labor was spontaneous or induced with dinoprostone 0.5 mg. Parturients received 10 ml of the study solution through a lumbar epidural catheter. The initial dose was sufentanil 25 microg, and subsequent doses were determined by the response of the previous patient in the same group using up-down sequential allocation. The analgesic effectiveness was assessed using 100-mm visual analog pain scores. The up-down sequences were analyzed using the method of independent paired reversals and probit regression. RESULTS: The minimum analgesic dose of sufentanil in spontaneous labor was 22.2 microg (95% CI: 19.6, 22.8) and 27.3 microg (95% CI: 23.8, 30.9) in induced labor. The minimum analgesic dose of sufentanil in induced labor was significantly greater (P = 0.0014) than that in spontaneous labor (95% CI difference: 2.9, 9.3) by a factor of 1.3 (95% CI: 1.1, 1.5). CONCLUSION: Prostaglandin induction of labor produces a significantly greater analgesic requirement than does spontaneous labor.

Adult↗

Ultrasound assessment of cervical dynamics during the first stage of labor.

OBJECTIVE: Assessment of cervical dynamics during the first stage of labor by a combination of ultrasound cervimetry and intrauterine tocography. METHODS: Sixty-two parturients were divided into four groups: nulliparous women in spontaneous (n = 9) or oxytocin-induced labor (n = 26), parous women in spontaneous (n = 11) or oxytocin-induced labor (n = 16). Intrauterine pressure and cervical dilatation were continuously recorded and assessed by off-line computer analysis. RESULTS: All women with spontaneous labor showed cervical responses to uterine contractions at the beginning of the recording. The first cervical response to a uterine contraction occurred at a significantly smaller dilatation in parous than in nulliparous women with induced labor (2.9 and 3.6 cm, respectively). Also, acceleration of cervical dilatation occurred at less dilatation in parous than in nulliparous women (3.4 cm and 4.8 cm, respectively), and myometrial work per cm of cervical dilatation was less in parous than in nulliparous parturients. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate significant differences between cervical dilatation patterns in nulliparous and parous women, which may be due to structural cervical changes caused by labor and parturition. The labor patterns found were different from those originally described by Friedman (Friedman EA. Graphic analysis of labor. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1954; 68: 1568-1575), as no deceleration phases were detected. Ultrasound cervimetry is a valuable technique for the study of cervical dynamics during labor.

Adolescent↗

Risk factors and outcome of failure to progress during the first stage of labor: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: One of the major indications for Cesarean section (CS) is failure of labor to progress. This study was aimed at defining obstetric risk factors for failure of labor to progress during the first stage, and to determine pregnancy outcome. METHODS: A population-based study comparing all singleton, vertex, term deliveries between the years 1988 and 1999 with an unscarred uterus, complicated with failure of labor to progress during the first stage with deliveries without non-progressive labor (NPL). Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate independent obstetric risk factors associated with failure of labor to progress during the first stage. RESULTS: Failure to progress during the first stage of labor complicated 1.3% (n = 1197) of all deliveries included in the study (n = 92 918), and resulted in CS. Independent risk factors for failure of labor to progress during the first stage, using a multivariable analysis, were premature rupture of membranes (PROM; OR = 3.8, 95% CI 3.2-4.5), nulliparity (OR = 3.8, 95% CI 3.3-4.3), labor induction (OR = 3.3, 95% CI 2.9-3.7), maternal age > 35 years (OR = 3.0, 95% CI 2.6-3.6), birth weight > 4 kg (OR = 2.2, 95% CI 1.8-2.7), hypertensive disorders (OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.8-2.6), hydramnios (OR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.5-2.3), fertility treatment (OR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.4-2.4), epidural analgesia (OR = 1.6, 95% CI 1.4-1.8) and gestational diabetes (OR = 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.7). Although newborns delivered after failure of labor to progress during the first stage had significantly higher rates of Apgar scores lower than 7 at 1 and 5 min as compared with the controls (18.2% vs. 2.1%; P < 0.001 and 1.3% vs. 0.2%; P < 0.001, respectively), no significant differences were noted between the groups regarding perinatal mortality (0.3% vs. 0.4%; P = O.329). Maternal anemia and accordingly packed cells transfusion (47.4% vs. 22.8%; P < 0.001 and 5.6% vs. 1.0%; P < 0.001, respectively) were higher among pregnancies complicated with failure of labor to progress during the first stage as compared with the controls. CONCLUSIONS: Major risk factors for failure of labor to progress during the first stage were PROM, nulliparity, induction of labor and older maternal age. Indications for labor induction should be carefully evaluated in order to decrease the rate of operative deliveries.

Adolescent↗

Abnormalities of the first and second stages of labor.

Abnormalities of the first and second stages of labor refer for the most part to abnormal progression of labor. This article discusses the risk factors, diagnoses, management options, and outcomes of the various categories of labor abnormalities, and provides an evidence-based approach where one exists. The article concentrates on the term, healthy woman carrying a singleton, vertex, normally grown fetus with no anomalies.

Delivery, Obstetric↗

High volume of subarachnoid levobupivacaine decreases drug requirement in first stage labor analgesia.

AIM: Using the statistic method of sequential allocation, we realized a prospective double-blind study in order to establish the minimum local anesthetic concentration (MLAC) of large intrathecal volume of levobupivacaine, during the first stage labour analgesia in spontaneous and induced laboring women. METHODS: Seventy-five nulliparous, at term, with cervical dilatation <5 cm parturients requesting combined spinal/epidural analgesia, were enrolled. The starting concentration was chosen according to recent literature. Total volume of study solution was 10 ml and efficacy was assessed with a visual analogue pain scale at the height of the uterine contraction. RESULTS: We established that MLAC of levobupivacaine, in 10 ml intrathecal volume, during the first stage of spontaneous and induced labour was 0.0134% and 0.0195%, respectively. No complications occurred during the study and the only side effect was shivering, which is common even in other anesthetic techniques. We produced a very selective sensitive block. Neither sympathetic nor motor block occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Low intrathecally concentration of local anesthetic allows the anesthetist to reduce the total amount of drug and improves not only the differential blockade between motor and sensitive but also between sympathetic and sensitive fibers.

Adult↗

Effects of lateral recumbency and sitting on the first stage of labor.

We compared uterine activity in lateral recumbency and the sitting position during the first stage of labor in a group of nulliparas. Lateral recumbency was accompanied by more intense, less frequent and more efficient uterine contractions than sitting. Patients preferred sitting for the first half of labor and lateral recumbency for the second. No adverse fetal reaction was noticed in either position, judging from the fetal heart rate. An increase in maternal pulse rate during sitting could have indirectly indicated some compression of the prevertebral vessels. Maternal position clearly affects several parameters of labor, and its selection should be based upon maternal comfort, uterine contractility and efficiency, and hemodynamic repercussions.

Female↗

Neuromuscular control of childbirth-prepared women during the first stage of labor.

To evaluate the neuromuscular control of Lamaze-prepared women during the first stage of labor and to identify the factors which influenced control, 94 women were studied. The women were categorized into two groups: class-taught and self-taught. A tool was devised to evaluate neuromuscular control. The study revealed that class-taught women exhibited a significantly higher degree of neuromuscular control, more frequent practice patterns, and a greater ability to make goal-directed statements about their labor than the self-taught women. The data also demonstrated an association between practice and control and goal directedness and control.

Adult↗

Intrauterine pressure wave-form characteristics of spontaneous first stage labor.

Intrauterine pressure wave-form parameters were measured in 827 contractions obtained from 26 patients in spontaneous labor. The coefficients of correlation between the maximal and minimal rates of pressure change and the maximal pressure amplitude were 0.78 and 0.63, respectively, and greater than or equal to 0.70 in 22/26 patients. Contractions partitioned into decile statistical groups of the pressure amplitude and both maximal and minimal rates. A linear relationship between these parameters has therefore been established. Contractions of greater amplitude tend to be longer, but the relationship between duration and amplitude is nonlinear with a limiting maximum contraction time. The duration of the midportion of the pressure wave appears invariate with respect to wave amplitude and only start-up and termination times increase with increasing amplitude. Mean values and standard deviations of the maximal amplitude (40.4 +/- 16.9mmHg). the maximal (2.4 +/- 0.9 mmHg/s) and minimal (-2.1+/- 0.9 mmHg/s)rates of pressure change, and the total duration of contractions (68.6 +/- 17.8s) were determined.

Female↗