First stage of labor progression in women with large-for-gestational age infants

Women with suspected large-for-gestational age fetuses have higher rates of dysfunctional labor and labor arrest diagnoses and, consequently, higher rates of cesarean deliveries. The identification of the factors that significantly affect labor progression of women with large-for-gestational age infants may better inform expected duration of labor for certain subgroups of this population.

Because the standards for the first stage of labor when large-for-gestational age is present have not been defined clearly, the present study aims to evaluate labor progress of women with large-for-gestational age infants who complete the first stage of labor after 3-cm cervical dilation.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients who were admitted for labor from 2004-2014 with a term vertex singleton who achieved 10-cm cervical dilation. Labor curves were constructed with repeated measures regression and were compared between patients who delivered large-for-gestational age infants (actual birthweight, >90th percentile for gestational age) and those who delivered appropriate-for-gestational age infants (actual birthweight, 10-90th percentile for gestational age). Interval-censored regression estimated median duration of labor after 3-cm cervical dilation stratified by actual infant birthweight and further stratified by parity (nulliparity vs multiparity), labor onset (spontaneous [augmented and not augmented] and induced labor), pregestational diabetes mellitus or gestational diabetes mellitus status, and maternal body mass index (obese, ≥30 kg/m² vs not obese, <30 kg/m²). Multivariate analysis adjusted for confounding factors that were identified by bivariate analysis.

Among all 17,097 women who were included, 15,843 women (92.7%) had appropriate-for-gestational age infants; 1254 women (7.3%) had large-for-gestational age infants, of whom 387 (30.9%) were nulliparous; 464 women (37.0%) underwent induction of labor; 863 women (68.8%) were obese, and 158 women (12.6%) had diabetes mellitus or gestational diabetes mellitus. Women with large-for-gestational age infants had a slower progression from 3- to 10-cm cervical dilation compared with those with appropriate-for-gestational age infants (median, 8.57 hours [5th, 95th percentile, 2.95, 24.86] vs 6.46 hours [5th, 95th percentile, 2.23, 18.74]; P<.01). In the large-for-gestational age group, dilation from 6-10 cm progressed slower in nulliparous compared with multiparous women (3.28 hours [5th, 95th percentile, 0.71, 15.16] vs 2.03 hours [5th, 95th percentile, 0.44, 9.39]; P<.01) and in obese compared with not obese women (2.36 hours [5th, 95th percentile, 0.51, 10.91] vs 1.79 hours [5th, 95th percentile, 0.39, 8.31]; P<.01). Labor curves did not differ between large-for-gestational age and appropriate-for-gestational age groups when stratified by labor onset (nonaugmented spontaneous labor vs induced labor) or the presence of diabetes mellitus or gestational diabetes mellitus.

After 3-cm cervical dilation, the time required to reach the second stage of labor is greater in women with large-for-gestational age infants compared with those with appropriate-for-gestational age infants; these differences are most pronounced in nulliparous and obese women with large-for-gestational age infants in the active phase of labor (6-10 cm). Among women with large-for-gestational age infants, labor onset and presence of diabetes mellitus or gestational diabetes mellitus have no apparent effect on the duration of the first stage of labor after 3-cm cervical dilation.