The duration of the third stage of labor is subject to the location of placental implantation.
We evaluated the association between placental location and length of the third stage of labor in normal term singleton pregnancies. Two hundred consecutive singleton term live vaginal deliveries following uncomplicated pregnancies were included in a retrospective study. The mean maternal age was 27.5 +/- 5.2 years, and the mean parity was 2.2 +/- 1.4. Patients' charts were reviewed in order to determine the placental implantation site. Anterior location of the placenta was noted in 96 women (48%), posterior in 66 (33%), fundal in 26 (13%), and lateral in 12 (6%). The duration of the third stage was 9.5 +/- 5.5, 9.4 +/- 5.3, 12.8 +/- 9.5, and 7.6 +/- 3.5 min in anterior, posterior, fundal, and lateral groups, respectively (p < 0.05). The duration of the third stage of labor is statistically significantly longer, if the placenta is located in the fundal area of the uterus. Therefore, we believe that the placental location may be important in managing the third stage of labor.
Lurie
Samuel
S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Edith Wolfson Medical Center, 58100 Holon, Israel. drslurie@hotmail.com
Gomel
Andrey
A
Sadan
Oscar
O
Ginath
Shimon
S
Rotmensch
Sigi
S
Glezerman
Marek
M
D000328:Adult; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007749:Labor Stage, Third / Q000502:physiology*; D010920:Placenta / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014599:Uterus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*