Impact of Upright Position during the First Stage of Labour on Maternal Outcomes: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Maternal position during delivery can affect the physiology of labour and the mechanics of childbirth.

The study aimed to evaluate the impact of an upright position during the first stage of labour on maternal outcomes.

This parallel group randomised control trial was conducted from April to June 2020 among 60 women (30 each in the experimental and control groups) admitted to the selected hospital in Punjab, India. Women who entered the active stage of labour naturally with a single live foetus in cephalic presentation, aged 18-45 years, and with normal body mass index were randomly assigned either to the experimental or control group using a concealed envelope method. Women in the experimental group were informed and encouraged to adopt the upright position, while those in the control group received the standard routine care during the first stage of labour. The effectiveness of upright positions during the first stage of labour was assessed in terms of duration of the first, second, and third stages of labour, mode of delivery, and perineal lacerations. Outcome assessors were blinded to the intervention. The differences in the groups were evaluated by mean, median, frequency, percentage, Chi-square, and t-test.

The results of 60 women were analysed. Women in the experimental group experienced a significant reduction in the incidence of instrumental delivery (p =0.005), perineal laceration (p =0.001), and duration of the first stage (p =0.0001) and third stage (p =0.0001) of labour compared to those in the control group. No harm was reported across the study groups.

This study urges nurses and midwives to recommend the use of upright positions during the first stage of labour to reduce the duration of labour and incidence of perineal laceration among women.