Active management of labour in parous women (fetomaternal effect)‎

الملخص EN

This prospective study was carried out during nine months period (first of December 2000 until the end of August 2001) in Basrah Maternity and Children Hospital to evaluate whether oxytocin augmentation would shorten the length of labour, lower cesarean section rate or has any adverse effects on neonatal outcome.

Data were collected and analyzed on 506 low risk multiparous (p1-3), at term, in spontanous labour.

Two hundred forty nine of them needed oxytocin augmentation while 257 had spontaneous effective uterine contractions.

This study confirmed that the mean duration of first stage of labour in oxytocin augmented patients shortened by 1.3 hours (from 5.8 hours in control to 4.5 hours in oxytocin augmented women), p value < 0.001.

Other finding in our study is that the rates of emergency cesarean section in oxytocin augmented women and controls were 1.6 % and 2.7 %, respectively.

The difference was statistically not significant.

The rate of low forceps delivery in oxytocin augmented patients was 0.4 % in comparison to 1.2 % in control group, the difference was statistically not significant.

No case of uterine rupture was recorded.

Our study has confirmed that perinatal mortality was 0.4 % for both groups.

These results provide reassurance about maternal and fetal safety in oxytocin treated group.

It is used as part of protocol of active management of labour to correct dystocia when spontaneous multiparous labour with vertex presentation fails to progress.