The Labor Progression Study: The use of oxytocin augmentation during labor following Zhang's guideline and the WHO partograph in a cluster randomized trial

Labor curves based on cervical dilatation over time and their accuracy and effectiveness: A systematic scoping review

OBJECTIVES

This systematic scoping review was conducted to 1) identify and describe labor curves that illustrate cervical dilatation over time; 2) map any evidence for, as well as outcomes used to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of the curves; and 3) identify areas in research that require further investigation.

METHODS

A three-step systematic literature search was conducted for publications up to May 2023. We searched the Medline, Maternity & Infant Care, Embase, Cochrane Library, Epistemonikos, CINAHL, Scopus, and African Index Medicus databases for studies describing labor curves, assessing their effectiveness in improving birth outcomes, or assessing their accuracy as screening or diagnostic tools. Original research articles and systematic reviews were included. We excluded studies investigating adverse birth outcomes retrospectively, and those investigating the effect of analgesia-related interventions on labor progression. Study eligibility was assessed, and data were extracted from included studies using a piloted charting form. The findings are presented according to descriptive summaries created for the included studies.

RESULTS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH

Of 26,073 potentially eligible studies, 108 studies were included. Seventy-three studies described labor curves, of which ten of the thirteen largest were based mainly on the United States Consortium on Safe Labor cohort. Labor curve endpoints were 10 cm cervical dilatation in 69 studies and vaginal birth in 4 studies. Labor curve accuracy was assessed in 26 studies, of which all 15 published after 1986 were from low- and middle-income countries. Recent studies of labor curve accuracy in high-income countries are lacking. The effectiveness of labor curves was assessed in 13 studies, which failed to prove the superiority of any curve. Patient-reported health and well-being is an underrepresented outcome in evaluations of labor curves. The usefulness of labor curves is still a matter of debate, as studies have failed to prove their accuracy or effectiveness.

Failure to progress or just normal? A constructivist grounded theory of physiological plateaus during childbirth

BACKGROUND AND PROBLEM

During childbirth, one of the most common diagnoses of pathology is 'failure to progress', frequently resulting in labour augmentation and intervention cascades. However, failure to progress is poorly defined and evidence suggests that some instances of slowing, stalling and pausing labour patterns may represent physiological plateaus.

AIM

To explore how midwives conceptualise physiological plateaus and the significance such plateaus may have for women's labour trajectory and birth outcome.

METHODS

Twenty midwives across Australia participated in semi-structured interviews between September 2020 and February 2022. Constructivist grounded theory methodology was applied to analyse data, including multi-phasic coding and application of constant comparative methods, resulting in a novel theory of physiological plateaus that is firmly supported by participant data.

FINDINGS

This study found that the conceptualisation of plateauing labour depends largely on health professionals' philosophical assumptions around childbirth. While the Medical Dominant Paradigm frames plateaus as invariably pathological, the Holistic Midwifery Paradigm acknowledges plateaus as a common and valuable element of labour that serves a self-regulatory purpose and results in good birth outcomes for mother and baby.

DISCUSSION

Contemporary medicalised approaches in maternity care, which are based on an expectation of continuous labour progress, appear to carry a risk for a misinterpretation of physiological plateaus as pathological.

CONCLUSION

This study challenges the widespread bio-medical conceptualisation of plateauing labour as failure to progress, encourages a renegotiation of what can be considered healthy and normal during childbirth, and provides a stimulus to acknowledge the significance of childbirth philosophy for maternity care practice.

Association of oxytocin augmentation and duration of labour with postpartum haemorrhage: A cohort study of nulliparous women

OBJECTIVE

Both duration of labour and use of oxytocin for augmentation are known risk factors for postpartum haemorrhage but distinguishing between the significance of these factors is complex. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between both labour duration and oxytocin augmentation, for postpartum haemorrhage.

DESIGN

A cohort study based on a secondary analysis of a cluster-randomised trial.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Term nulliparous women with a single foetus in cephalic presentation, spontaneous onset of active labour and a vaginal birth. The participants were originally included in cluster-randomised trial conducted in Norway from December 1, 2014, to January 31, 2017, that aimed to compare the frequency of intrapartum caesarean sections when adhering to the WHO partograph versus Zhang's guideline.

MEASUREMENTS

The data were analysed through four statistical models. Model 1 investigated the effect of oxytocin augmentation as a dichotomous variable (yes/no); Model 2 investigated the effect of the duration of oxytocin augmentation; Model 3 investigated the effect of the maximum dose of oxytocin; and Model 4 investigated the effect of both the duration of augmentation and the maximum dose of oxytocin. All four models included duration of labour divided into five time-intervals. We used binary logistic regression to estimate the odds ratios of postpartum haemorrhage, defined as blood loss of ≥ 1000 ml, including a random intercept for hospital and mutually adjusting for oxytocin augmentation and labour duration in addition to maternal age, maternal marital status, maternal higher education level, maternal smoking habits in the first trimester, maternal body mass index and birth weight.

FINDINGS

Model 1 found a significant association between the use of oxytocin and postpartum haemorrhage. In Model 2, oxytocin augmentation of ≥ 4.5 h was associated with postpartum haemorrhage. In Model 3, we found an association between a maximum dose of oxytocin of ≥ 20 mU/min and postpartum haemorrhage. Model 4 showed that a maximum dose of oxytocin ≥ 20 mU/min was associated with postpartum haemorrhage both for those augmented < 4.5 h and for those augmented ≥ 4.5 h. Duration of labour was associated with postpartum haemorrhage in all models if lasting ≥ 16 h.

KEY CONCLUSIONS

We found both oxytocin augmentation and labour duration to be associated with postpartum haemorrhage. Oxytocin doses of ≥ 20 mU/min and a labour duration of ≥ 16 h showed an independent association.

IMPLICATION FOR PRACTICE

The potent drug oxytocin should be carefully administered, as doses of ≥ 20 mU/min were associated with an increased risk of PPH, regardless of the duration of oxytocin augmentation.

Comparing compliance with commencement and use of two partograph designs for women in active labour: A randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Documentation and assessment of progress in labour using a partograph is recommended by the World Health Organisation to assist in the timely recognition of labour dystocia. Recent studies have tested new designs of partographs that aim to account for more variable rates of labour progress. However, other studies have suggested that poor compliance in the completion of partographs affects utility. The objective of this study was to compare two types of partographs for compliance in documentation and use for managing labour.

METHODS

Low-risk nulliparous women in spontaneous labour (n = 228) were randomised to either an Action Line (control) (n = 114) or Dystocia Line partograph (intervention) (n = 114). Primary outcome was compliance with instructions for commencement of the partograph following a multifaceted training strategy. Secondary outcomes included compliance with the accompanying clinical management protocol for each partograph; and labour and birth outcomes.

RESULTS

The compliance rate for commencing the Action line partograph was 43.2% compared to 67.0% (p = 0.02) for the Dystocia line partograph. Other than a reduction in artificial rupture of membranes in the Dystocia Line group there were no other differences in labour management or birth outcomes. The use of centralised electronic display of labour progress may be a contributing factor.

CONCLUSIONS

Compliance with the commencement and use of either partograph was low. There was little indication that the partograph was being utilized in the assessment and management of prolonged labour. Further studies are needed to explore the current utility of partographs in labour management and the effect of centralised monitoring of progress in high resource settings.

Coexistence and prevalence of obstetric interventions: an analysis based on the grade of membership

BACKGROUND

Obstetric interventions performed during delivery do not reflect improvements in obstetric care. Several practices routinely performed during childbirth, without any scientific evidence or basis - such as Kristeller maneuver, routine episiotomy, and movement or feeding restriction - reflect a disrespectful assistance reality that, unfortunately, remains in place in Brazil. The aims of the current study are to assess the coexistence and prevalence of obstetric interventions in maternity hospitals in Belo Horizonte City, based on the Grade of Membership (GoM) method, as well as to investigate sociodemographic and obstetric factors associated with coexistence profiles generated by it.

METHODS

Observational study, based on a cross-sectional design, carried out with data deriving from the study "Nascer em Belo Horizonte: Inquérito sobre o Parto e Nascimento" (Born in Belo Horizonte: Survey on Childbirth and Birth). The herein investigated interventions comprised practices that are clearly useful and should be encouraged; practices that are clearly harmful or ineffective and should be eliminated; and practices that are inappropriately used, in contrast to the ones recommended by the World Health Organization. The analyzed interventions comprised: providing food to parturient women, allowing them to have freedom to move, use of partogram, adopting non-pharmacological methods for pain relief, enema, perineal shaving, lying patients down for delivery, Kristeller maneuver, amniotomy, oxytocin infusion, analgesia and episiotomy. The current study has used GoM to identify the coexistence of the adopted obstetric interventions. Variables such as age, schooling, skin color, primigravida, place-of-delivery financing, number of prenatal consultations, gestational age at delivery, presence of obstetric nurse at delivery time, paid work and presence of companion during delivery were taken into consideration at the time to build patients' profile.

RESULTS

Results have highlighted two antagonistic obstetric profiles, namely: profile 1 comprised parturient women who were offered diet, freedom to move, use of partogram, using non-pharmacological methods for pain relief, giving birth in lying position, patients who were not subjected to Kristeller maneuver, episiotomy or amniotomy, women did not receive oxytocin infusion, and analgesia using. Profile 2, in its turn, comprised parturient women who were not offered diet, who were not allowed to have freedom to move, as well as who did not use the partograph or who were subjected to non-pharmacological methods for pain relief. They were subjected to enema, perineal shaving, Kristeller maneuver, amniotomy and oxytocin infusion. In addition, they underwent analgesia and episiotomy. This outcome emphasizes the persistence of an obstetric care model that is not based on scientific evidence. Based on the analysis of factors that influenced the coexistence of obstetric interventions, the presence of obstetric nurses in the healthcare practice has reduced the likelihood of parturient women to belong to profile 2. In addition, childbirth events that took place in public institutions have reduced the likelihood of parturient women to belong to profile 2.

CONCLUSION(S)

Based on the analysis of factors that influenced the coexistence of obstetric interventions, financing the hospital for childbirth has increased the likelihood of parturient women to belong to profile 2. However, the likelihood of parturient women to belong to profile 2 has decreased when hospitals had an active obstetric nurse at the delivery room. The current study has contributed to discussions about obstetric interventions, as well as to improve childbirth assistance models. In addition, it has emphasized the need of developing strategies focused on adherence to, and implementation of, assistance models based on scientific evidence.

Associations between duration of active second stage of labour and adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes: A cohort study of nulliparous women with spontaneous onset of labour

OBJECTIVE

To investigate associations between the duration of the active second stage of labour and adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.

METHOD

This cohort study is based on data from a cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) undertaken at 14 Norwegian birth clinics in Norway from 2014 to 2017. The final sample involved 6804 nulliparous women with a singleton fetus, cephalic presentation, spontaneous onset of labour at term, vaginal delivered and with an active second stage of labour. The women were grouped to active second stage of labour ≤ 60 min and active second stage of labour > 60 min. Binary logistic regression was used to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of the maternal and neonatal outcomes with an associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs), comparing women in the two groups.

RESULTS

There was an increased risk of postpartum haemorrhage > 1000 ml with an adjusted OR 1.31 (95% CI: 1.01-1.69) when the active second stage of labour exceeded 60 min. There was no significant difference in the risk of obstetric anal sphincter injuries (adjusted OR 0.93 [95% CI: 0.65-1.39]), Apgar scores < 7 at 5 min age (adjusted OR 1.13 [95% CI: 0.65-1.97]) or admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (adjusted OR 1.46 [95% CI: 0.61-3.51]) between the study groups.

CONCLUSION

Women with an active second stage of labour that exceeds 60 min had an increased risk of postpartum haemorrhage > 1000 ml. We found no association between duration of active stage of labour and obstetric anal sphincter injuries or adverse neonatal outcomes.

Middle-East OBGYN graduate education (MOGGE) foundation practice guidelines: use of labor charts in management of labor. Practice guideline no. 04-O-21

Since the 50 s of the last century, labor charts have been proposed and appraised as a tool to diagnose labor abnormalities and guide decision-making. The partogram, the most widely adopted form of labor charts, has been endorsed by the world health organization (WHO) since 1994. Nevertheless, recent studies and systematic reviews did not support clinical significance of application of the WHO partogram. These results have led to further studies that investigate modifications to the structure of the partogram, or more recently, to reconstruct new labor charts to improve their clinical efficacy. This guideline appraises current evidence on use of labor charts in management of labor specially in low-resource settings.

Maternal body mass index and risk of obstetric, maternal and neonatal outcomes: A cohort study of nulliparous women with spontaneous onset of labor

INTRODUCTION

This study investigates associations between maternal body mass index (BMI) early in pregnancy and obstetric interventions, maternal and neonatal outcomes.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This is a cohort study of nulliparous women originally included in a cluster randomized controlled trial carried out at 14 Norwegian obstetric units between 2014 and 2017. The sample included 7189 nulliparous women with a singleton fetus, cephalic presentation and spontaneous onset of labor at term, denoted as group 1 in the Ten-Group Classification System. The women were grouped according to the World Health Organization BMI classifications: underweight (BMI <18.5), normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9), pre-obesity (BMI 25.0-29.9), obesity class I (BMI 30.0-34.9), and obesity classes II and III (BMI ≥35.0). We used binary logistic regression to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of the interventions and outcomes, with associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs), comparing women in different BMI groups with women of normal weight.

RESULTS

We found an increased risk of intrapartum cesarean section in women of obesity class I and obesity classes II and III, with adjusted OR of 1.70 (95% CI 1.21-2.38) and 2.31 (95% CI 1.41-3.77), respectively. Women in obesity groups had a gradient of risk of epidural analgesia and use of continuous CTG (including STAN), with adjusted OR of 2.39 (95% CI 1.69-3.38) and 3.28 (95% CI 1.97-5.48), respectively. Women in obesity classes II and III had higher risk of amniotomy (adjusted OR = 1.42, 95% CI 1.02-1.96), oxytocin augmentation (adjusted OR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.11-2.15), obstetric anal sphincter injuries (adjusted OR = 2.21, 95% CI 1.01-4.85) and postpartum hemorrhage ≥1000 mL (adjusted OR = 2.20, 95% CI 1.29-3.78). We found a reduced likelihood of spontaneous vaginal delivery for pre-obese women (adjusted OR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.74-0.97) and no associations between maternal BMI and neonatal outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Obese women in Ten-Group Classification System group 1 had increased risks of obstetric interventions and maternal complications. There was a gradient of risk for intrapartum cesarean section, with the highest risk for women in obesity classes II and III. No associations between maternal BMI and neonatal outcomes were observed.

[Effects of a policy for reasonable use of oxytocin during spontaneous labor at term]

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effect of a modified definition of dystocia and of a different timing of interventions during spontaneous labor on the rate of oxytocin use and on its consequences on labor outcome.

METHODS

We compared oxytocin use and labor outcome before and after the introduction of a new protocol for the management of spontaneous labor. By protocol, oxytocin use and/or artificial rupture of the membranes was restricted to cases without progress in cervical dilatation for≥1h and/or no progress of fetal descent for≥1h at full dilatation. The main outcome measure was the rate of oxytocin use. Secondary outcome criteria were the consequences on labor (duration of labor, tachysystole and uterine hyperstimulation, abnormal fetal heart rate, cesarean delivery rate) and neonatal outcome.

RESULTS

Oxytocin use was strongly reduced from 2015 (69.2%) to 2016 (39.8%; P<0.01) and 2017 (31.9%; P<0.01). Abnormal FHR rates decreased simultaneously (respectively 52%, 37% et 29%, P<0.05), as well as uterine hyperstimulation (respectively 33.6%, 21.3% et 23.0%; P<0.05). The cesarean delivery rate did not vary significantly from 2015 (11.5%) to 2016 (8.4%; NS) but it decreased from 2015 to 2017 (11.5% to 2.6%, respectively; P<0.05). No difference was found in postpartum hemorrhage rates or in neonatal outcome. The duration of labor was significantly longer for women who delivered in 2017, compared with 2015 (372 minutes versus 306 minutes, respectively; P<0.05). After multivariate analysis, FHR abnormalities were reduced (aOR 0.65 IC 95% [0.49-0.86]) as well as cesarean deliveries during labor (aOR 0.5 IC 95% [0.26-0.97]) in 2017 only, compared with the reference year 2015.

CONCLUSION

A simple and easy-to-use definition of dystocia and of interventions required during labor allowed a strong reduction of oxytocin use during labor with subsequent benefits such as reduced rates of FHR abnormalities, uterine hyperstimulations and cesarean deliveries, at the cost of a limited prolongation of labor, mainly in nulliparous women.