<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec><h3>Objective</h3><p>To examine the effect of upright and ambulant positions versus lying down during the active first stage of labor on birth outcomes for nulliparous women.</p></sec><sec><h3>Methods</h3><p>This is a randomized controlled clinical trial conducted at the delivery department of Damanhour Educational Institute, El Behira Governorate, Egypt. The study sample involved 150 parturient women equally divided into intervention and control groups using randomization block technique. The researchers used four tools for data collection: Demographic data interview schedule, World Health Organization Partograph, Apgar's score, to evaluate neonatal outcomes, and visual analogue pain intensity scale. For the study group, the parturient women were encouraged to assume one of the upright positions or ambulating around the bed so as to maintain the pelvis in vertical plane as far as possible for 20–25 min for every 1 h. The control group received routine hospital care, which includes lying down in bed. IBM SPSS 23.0 was used to analyze the data.</p></sec><sec><h3>Results</h3><p>Significant differences (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05) were observed between the study and control groups in relation to cervical dilation, fetal head descent, uterine contractions interval, and frequency. The duration of the first stage of labor significantly reduced (<italic>P</italic> = 0.018) in the intervention group compared with control group. No significant differences (<italic>P</italic> > 0.05) were observed between both groups in term of emergency cesarean birth rates, oxytocin use, and neonatal outcomes.</p></sec><sec><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>This study proves that upright and ambulant positions significantly enhance uterine contractility, cervical dilatation, and fetal head descent and reduce the first stage duration.</p></sec></abstract>

ObjectiveTo examine the effect of upright and ambulant positions versus lying down during the active first stage of labor on birth outcomes for nulliparous women.MethodsThis is a randomized controlled clinical trial conducted at the delivery department of Damanhour Educational Institute, El Behira Governorate, Egypt. The study sample involved 150 parturient women equally divided into intervention and control groups using randomization block technique. The researchers used four tools for data collection: Demographic data interview schedule, World Health Organization Partograph, Apgar's score, to evaluate neonatal outcomes, and visual analogue pain intensity scale. For the study group, the parturient women were encouraged to assume one of the upright positions or ambulating around the bed so as to maintain the pelvis in vertical plane as far as possible for 20–25 min for every 1 h. The control group received routine hospital care, which includes lying down in bed. IBM SPSS 23.0 was used to analyze the data.ResultsSignificant differences (P < 0.05) were observed between the study and control groups in relation to cervical dilation, fetal head descent, uterine contractions interval, and frequency. The duration of the first stage of labor significantly reduced (P = 0.018) in the intervention group compared with control group. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed between both groups in term of emergency cesarean birth rates, oxytocin use, and neonatal outcomes.ConclusionsThis study proves that upright and ambulant positions significantly enhance uterine contractility, cervical dilatation, and fetal head descent and reduce the first stage duration.

Effect of upright and ambulant positions versus lying down during the active first stage of labor on birth outcomes among nulliparous women: randomized controlled clinical trial

Obstetrics and Woman Health Nursing department

Maternity and Childhood Nursing Department

Obstetrics and Gynecologic Nursing department

Frontiers of Nursing

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

ObjectiveTo examine the effect of upright and ambulant positions versus lying down during the active first stage of labor on birth outcomes for nulliparous women.MethodsThis is a randomized controlled clinical trial conducted at the delivery department of Damanhour Educational Institute, El Behira Governorate, Egypt. The study sample involved 150 parturient women equally divided into intervention and control groups using randomization block technique. The researchers used four tools for data collection: Demographic data interview schedule, World Health Organization Partograph, Apgar's score, to evaluate neonatal outcomes, and visual analogue pain intensity scale. For the study group, the parturient women were encouraged to assume one of the upright positions or ambulating around the bed so as to maintain the pelvis in vertical plane as far as possible for 20–25 min for every 1 h. The control group received routine hospital care, which includes lying down in bed. IBM SPSS 23.0 was used to analyze the data.ResultsSignificant differences (P  0.05) were observed between both groups in term of emergency cesarean birth rates, oxytocin use, and neonatal outcomes.ConclusionsThis study proves that upright and ambulant positions significantly enhance uterine contractility, cervical dilatation, and fetal head descent and reduce the first stage duration.

ObjectiveTo examine the effect of upright and ambulant positions versus lying down during the active first stage of labor on birth outcomes for nulliparous...

Effect of upright and ambulant positions versus lying down during the active first stage of labor on birth outcomes among nulliparous women: randomized controlled clinical trial

Article Category: Original article

Published Online: Oct 02, 2020

Page range: 239 - 248

Received: Dec 12, 2019

Accepted: Jan 15, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fon-2020-0035

Keywords
birth outcomes, first stage of labor, lying down, upright position

© 2020 Heba Abdel-Fatah Ibrahim et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Effect of upright and ambulant positions versus lying down during the active first stage of labor on birth outcomes among nulliparous women: randomized controlled clinical trial

Article Category: Original article

Published Online: Oct 02, 2020

Page range: 239 - 248

Received: Dec 12, 2019

Accepted: Jan 15, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fon-2020-0035

Keywordsbirth outcomes, first stage of labor, lying down, upright position

© 2020 Heba Abdel-Fatah Ibrahim et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
birth outcomes, first stage of labor, lying down, upright position