title: Characteristics of normal labour among different racial groups in Malaysia.
abstract: The characteristics of normal labour in 977 Malay, Chinese and Indian parturients were established from a retrospective study. Indian babies were found to be significantly smaller than Malay babies which were significantly smaller than Chinese babies (P less than 0-05, P less than 0-05). The mean duration of the first stage of labour taken from the time of admission to the labour ward was 3-4 hours in primiparae and 2-7 hours in multiparae. The mean durations of the second stage of labour were 23-7 minutes and 13-1 minutes respectively. Curves of mean dilatation of cervix and probit analysis at 80% revealed significant differences in the progress of normal labour in primiparae among the three racial groups. The Indian primiparae not only had a slower rate of cervical dilatation but seemed to reach the accelerated phase of dilatation later. No significant differences were noticed in the labours of multiparae.
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D002584:Cervix Uteri; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D008296:Malaysia; D011247:Pregnancy; D044469:Racial Groups; D013997:Time Factors