The relationship of ambulation in labor to operative delivery.
An abbreviated version of the Nurse-Midwifery Clinical Data Set was used to gather data on all women (n = 3,049) who began intrapartum care with a nurse-midwife in three sites. Demographic information, intrapartum care, and outcomes were recorded. The association of ambulation in labor with operative delivery was examined in a low-risk sample (n = 1,678) of women who did not receive care measures (epidural anesthesia, oxytocin induction or augmentation) that preclude mobility in labor. Women who ambulated for a significant amount of time during labor (compared with those who did not ambulate) had half the rate of operative delivery (2.7% vs. 5.5%).
Albers
L L
LL
University of New Mexico College of Nursing, Nurse-Midwifery Program, Albuquerque 87131-1061, USA.
Anderson
D
D
Cragin
L
L
Daniels
S M
SM
Hunter
C
C
Sedler
K D
KD
Teaf
D
D
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005113:Extraction, Obstetrical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D011247:Pregnancy; D012306:Risk; D016138:Walking