Labor progress indices and dynamics of the individual uterine contraction during the active stage of labor.
OBJECTIVE
To obtain and study new data on the dynamics of the labor process and to develop a contraction-based index of labor progress.


METHODS
This study was carried out at the Delivery Room, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Western Galilee Hospital, Nahariya, Israel, using a new device (Birth Track). We continuously monitored cervical dilatation (CD) and head descent (HD) in 30 nulliparaous women during active labor with (augmented group) and without (study group) oxytocin augmentation. This led to the development and validation of progress indices based on features extracted from continuous monitoring.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences between the average of each parameter in the study and augmented groups, except for HD velocity. Average HD velocity was faster in the study group. Linear regression analyses demonstrated that head station (HS) amplitude and Toco amplitude were the best parameters for predicting HD velocity in both groups. In the study group, average HD velocity was also significantly related to Toco rate and contraction efficiency. In the augmented group, only a weak correlation with Toco rate was seen, and no correlation with contraction efficiency.


CONCLUSIONS
With the assistance of the Birth Track device, we can obtain continuous data on the labor process and indices to estimate the labor progress process without the use of vaginal (manual) examination.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Western Galilee Hospital, Nahariya, Israel; Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Galilee, Israel.
Ella
E
Ophir
Jacob
J
Bornstein
Marwan
M
Odeh
Svetlana
S
Kaminsky
Oleg
O
Shnaider
Yuri
Y
Megel
Ofer
O
Barnea
D000328:Adult; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural; D016362:Analgesia, Obstetrical; D005260:Female; D005323:Fetal Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D007747:Labor Stage, First / Q000187:drug effects; D007748:Labor Stage, Second / Q000187:drug effects; D009775:Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Hospital; D010120:Oxytocics; D010121:Oxytocin; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D014590:Uterine Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D018590:Uterine Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
D010120:Oxytocics; D010121:Oxytocin
active stage of labor; individual uterine contraction; labor progress indices