A randomized trial of amniotomy in active labor.
The role of amniotomy in active labor is controversial because of contradictory data and a paucity of randomized studies. A randomized trial was conducted on the role of amniotomy in spontaneous labor. Fifty-three women who were admitted to the Family Medicine Service in active labor were randomly assigned to receive amniotomy (n = 26) or no amniotomy (n = 27). Amniotomy shortened the time from randomization to delivery by 143 minutes (t = 2.3, P less than .05, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 19-265). After adjusting for possible confounders, the effect of amniotomy was to shorten labor by 155 minutes (CI = 9-301). The effect of amniotomy on labor was not found to be related to parity or cervical dilatation. Amniotomy had no apparent effect on Apgar scores or use of analgesia.
Department of Family Medicine, University of Rochester, NY 14620.
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D000328:Adult; D000650:Amnion / Q000601:surgery*; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical; D001034:Apgar Score; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D011247:Pregnancy; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013997:Time Factors