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Updated: May 10, 2026

Electromyometrial Imaging of Uterine Contractions in Pregnant Women
Published on: May 26, 2023
Duration of labor by gestational week in nulliparous women
Samuel Lurie1, Yana Vinnikov, Mona Boaz
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Edith Wolfson Medical Center , Holon , Israel .
Objectives:
To assess whether labor length differs by week of gestation.
Methods:
In this observational cross-sectional study, we compared duration of labor by gestational age (36 + 0 through 40 + 6 weeks) in primiparous singleton parturients with vertex presentation. Data were acquired for a period of 24 months (2010-2011).
Results:
In general, the rate of change in cervical dilatation decreased as gestational week at delivery advanced: 1.8 ± 1.0 cm/h, 1.5 ± 0.9 cm/h, 1.3 ± 0.8 cm/h, 1.6 ± 1.5, and 1.3 ± 1.0 cm/h at 36th, 37th, 38th, 39th and 40th gestational week, respectively (p = 0.040). Concurrently, the total labor duration (1st + 2nd + 3rd stages) increased as gestational age advanced: 423.6 ± 180.9 min, 496.5 ± 212.6 min, 545.9 ± 247.1 min, 483.8 ± 256.3 min, and 568.2 ± 273.8 min at 36th, 37th, 38th, 39th and 40th gestational week, respectively (p = 0.013).
Conclusions:
Gestational week of pregnancy may alter the duration of labor, specifically, the length of labor increases as gestational week at delivery advances.
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