Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Assessment of the Efficacy of An Osteopathic Treatment in Infants with Biomechanical Impairments to Suckling

Assessment of the Efficacy of An Osteopathic Treatment in Infants with Biomechanical Impairments to Suckling

Published on: February 5, 2019

A Comparative Observational Study on the WHO Labour Care Guide Versus the WHO Modified Partograph on Labour Outcome

Kurukuntla Vishnu Priya¹, Shreedevi Kori¹, Rajasri G Yaliwal¹

¹Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Shri B. M. Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, BLDE (Deemed to be University), Vijayapura, IND.

|February 23, 2026

Abstract

Introduction:

Labour is a critical physiological process requiring close monitoring to ensure optimal maternal and neonatal outcomes. Traditional labour monitoring using the WHO Modified Partograph has been widely adopted; however, concerns regarding rigid time thresholds and unnecessary interventions have prompted the development of the WHO Labour Care Guide (LCG), a more individualized and woman-centred tool aligned with contemporary evidence. Comparative data between these two tools remain limited. The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of the WHO LCG with the WHO Modified Partograph in terms of maternal labour outcomes and caesarean section rates among primigravida women at term.

Methods:

This comparative observational study was conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital in South India. A total of 146 primigravida women in spontaneous labour with singleton, cephalic pregnancies at 37-40 weeks of gestation were enrolled. Participants were equally allocated to monitoring with either the WHO LCG (n = 73) or the WHO Modified Partograph (n = 73). Maternal labour parameters, mode of delivery, hospital stay, and neonatal outcomes were recorded.

Results:

Women monitored using the WHO LCG had significantly shorter durations of the active phase and the second stage of labour and a markedly lower caesarean section rate compared with those monitored using the Modified Partograph (p < 0.001). Vaginal delivery rates were significantly higher, and hospital stays were shorter in the LCG group. Neonatal outcomes, including APGAR (appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, respiration) scores, birth weight, NICU admissions, and NICU stay duration, were comparable between the two groups.

Conclusion:

The WHO LCG is a more effective intrapartum monitoring tool than the WHO Modified Partograph, improving maternal labour outcomes without compromising neonatal safety. Its adoption may enhance labour efficiency, reduce unnecessary caesarean deliveries, and support woman-centred obstetric care.

Keywords:

cesarean section labour monitoring obstetric care who labour care guide who modified partograph

Related Concept Videos

Observational Studies

Observational Studies

Observational studies are a type of analytical study where researchers observe events without any interventions. In other words, the researcher does not influence the response variable or the experiment's outcome.
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One...

Comparing the Survival Analysis of Two or More Groups

Comparing the Survival Analysis of Two or More Groups

Survival analysis is a cornerstone of medical research, used to evaluate the time until an event of interest occurs, such as death, disease recurrence, or recovery. Unlike standard statistical methods, survival analysis is particularly adept at handling censored data—instances where the event has not occurred for some participants by the end of the study or remains unobserved. To address these unique challenges, specialized techniques like the Kaplan-Meier estimator, log-rank test, and...

Data Collection by Observations

Data Collection by Observations

Data collection refers to a systematic way of obtaining, observing, measuring, and analyzing accurate information. Observational studies are one of the most widely used methods of data collection. It involves collecting data by observing the behavior and physical characteristics of a sample without making any modifications to the sample.
An astronomer viewing the motion and brightness of stars in the sky and recording the data is an example of observational data collection. A botanist recording...

Naturalistic Observations

Naturalistic Observations

If you want to understand how behavior occurs, one of the best ways to gain information is to simply observe the behavior in its natural context. However, people might change their behavior in unexpected ways if they know they are being observed. How do researchers obtain accurate information when people tend to hide their natural behavior? As an example, imagine that your professor asks everyone in your class to raise their hand if they always wash their hands after using the restroom. Chances...

Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches

Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches

Biopharmaceutical studies constitute a vital field aiming to enhance drug delivery methods and refine therapeutic approaches, drawing upon diverse interdisciplinary knowledge. In research methodologies, the choice between controlled and non-controlled studies significantly influences the study's reliability and accuracy.
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...

Odds Ratio

Odds Ratio

The odds ratio (OR) is a statistical measure used extensively in epidemiology and research to quantify the strength of association between exposure and outcome across different groups. Unlike relative risk, which compares the probabilities of an event occurring, the odds ratio compares the odds of an event occurring in the exposed group to the odds of it occurring in the unexposed group. The odds, in this context, are calculated as the probability of the event happening divided by the...

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

A Prospective Observational Study of Correlation of Ductus Venosus Doppler and Fetal Outcome in Preeclampsia.

Annals of African medicine·2026

Comparative Study of Laparoscopic Adnexal Surgery Versus Open Adnexal Surgery for Adnexal Masses.

Cureus·2026

A Prospective Observational Study of Maternal Near-Miss Cases at a Tertiary Care Center.

Cureus·2026

A Prospective Observational Study on Serum Lactate Dehydrogenase and Uric Acid Levels in Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy and Prediction of Fetomaternal Outcome.

Cureus·2026

Acceptability, Continuation, and User Experience of Menstrual Cup Usage Among Married Women: A Prospective Observational Study.

Cureus·2026

Incidence and Predictors of Preeclampsia Among Pregnant Women With Urinary Tract Infection: A Prospective Observational Study.

Cureus·2026

See all related articles