Maternity Care Update: Labor and Delivery

Labor is defined as contractions with cervical change and active labor starts when the cervix is dilated 6 cm. Updated labor curves and definitions should be used to define labor dystocia. Oxytocin and amniotomy have important roles in the management of labor dystocia. Structured intermittent fetal monitoring should be considered for women with low-risk pregnancies but continuous electronic fetal monitoring still is used most commonly. Moderate fetal heart rate variability is the most reliable marker of fetal well-being. Epidural analgesia is used in more than half of all births in the United States. It is not associated with an increase in the rate of cesarean deliveries but is associated with a longer second stage of labor. Interventions that may reduce the need for cesarean delivery include use of the new definitions of labor dystocia, a trial of manual rotation of occiput posterior presentations, use of cervical ripening agents for induction of labor with an unfavorable cervix, and encouragement of women with previous cesarean deliveries to attempt vaginal delivery.