Delivery in an obstetric birth chair: a randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether nulliparae whose second stage of labour is conducted in an obstetric birth chair have a lower incidence of instrumental delivery than those using a conventional delivery bed.


METHODS
Randomized controlled trial using sealed, opaque envelopes for allocation.


METHODS
Delivery ward in a busy teaching hospital.


METHODS
1250 nulliparae with a singleton live fetus with cephalic presentation, without epidural anaesthesia, who had achieved full dilatation.


METHODS
Intention to conduct second and third stages of labour in either the Birth-EZ chair or the conventional delivery bed, as randomly allocated.


METHODS
Primary measure: vaginal operative delivery; principal secondary measures: duration of second stage, perineal trauma, blood loss, women's views, and neonatal status.


RESULTS
Delivery in the birth chair did not result in a reduction in operative delivery, overall. However, there was a reduction in vaginal operative delivery for fetal heart rate abnormality. There was no beneficial effect on perineal trauma or puerperal perineal pain. Post-partum haemorrhage was more frequent in the birth chair group.


CONCLUSIONS
Delivery in the birth chair does not offer any obvious advantage to women over delivery on a bed.
Crowley
P
P
Coombe Lying-In Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Elbourne
D
D
Ashurst
H
H
Garcia
J
J
Murphy
D
D
Duignan
N
N
D003258:Consumer Behavior; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007748:Labor Stage, Second; D007749:Labor Stage, Third; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000209:etiology; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011247:Pregnancy; D011379:Prognosis