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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 13, 2026

An Experimental Paradigm for the Prediction of Post-Operative Pain (PPOP)

An Experimental Paradigm for the Prediction of Post-Operative Pain (PPOP)

Published on: January 27, 2010

Continuous support for women during childbirth.

E D Hodnett¹, S Gates, G J Hofmeyr

¹University of Toronto, Faculty of Nursing, 155 College Street, Suite 130, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5T 1P8. ellen.hodnett@utoronto.ca

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

|July 20, 2007

Summary

Continuous support during childbirth improves birth experiences. Women receiving continuous intrapartum support experienced shorter labors, more spontaneous vaginal births, and less need for pain relief.

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Area of Science:

Obstetrics and Gynecology
Maternal Health
Evidence-Based Midwifery

Background:

Historically, continuous support during labor was standard practice, provided by women for women.
Modern hospital settings have largely replaced this with intermittent care, leading to concerns about the dehumanization of birth.
There is a growing movement advocating for the reinstatement of continuous labor support.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the impact of continuous, one-to-one intrapartum support on mothers and newborns compared to usual care.
To investigate if factors like birth environment policies, caregiver affiliation (hospital staff vs. external), and timing of support initiation influence outcomes.

Main Methods:

A systematic review and meta-analysis of published and unpublished randomized controlled trials.
Searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register for relevant studies.
Included 16 trials with 13,391 participants, analyzing data using relative risk and weighted mean difference.

Main Results:

Continuous intrapartum support was associated with shorter labor durations.
Women receiving continuous support were more likely to achieve spontaneous vaginal birth and less likely to require intrapartum analgesia.
Dissatisfaction with childbirth experiences was reduced with continuous support.

Conclusions:

Continuous intrapartum support is beneficial for all women during labor and birth.
The positive effects of continuous support were amplified when provided by non-hospital staff, initiated early in labor, and in settings with limited epidural availability.