The Effect of the Wireless Fetal Monitoring Used During Birth on the Women's Comfort, Labor Pain, and Birth...

Wired electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) restricts maternal mobility during labor and may negatively affect pain coping, comfort, birth satisfaction. Although both wired and wireless systems are available, wired EFM remains the standard method in many countries, including Türkiye. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of wireless EFM on maternal comfort, labor pain, birth satisfaction.

The final sample comprised 88 women, with 44 participants in the experimental group and 44 in the control group. Data were collected using the personal information form, childbirth comfort questionnaire (CCQ), visual analog scale (VAS), and birth satisfaction scale-revised (BSS-R). Women in the experimental group were monitored using wireless EFM, whereas those in the control group received conventional wired EFM. The VAS and CCQ were administered during the active phase of labor (8-10 cm cervical dilatation), and the BSS-R was completed 1 h postpartum.

Labor duration was shorter, reactive EFM findings were more frequent in the experimental group. Mean CCQ and BSS-R scores were higher, whereas mean VAS scores were lower in the experimental group. Significant between-group differences were observed for VAS and BSS-R scores, whereas the difference in CCQ scores was not statistically significant.

Women monitored with wireless EFM experienced lower perceived labor pain and higher birth satisfaction than those receiving conventional wired EFM. Wireless EFM was also associated with shorter labor duration and a higher rate of reactive EFM findings. These findings suggest that wireless EFM may improve women's childbirth experience while maintaining effective fetal monitoring.