[Experience with EK-birthing chair (author's transl)]

A birthing chair with a rigid plastic seat was tested for usefulness and safety. The birthing chair was evaluated positively by the delivering patients. The obstetric team was convinced of the advantages of the sitting position for delivery at the end of the evaluation. Minor disadvantages such as increased soiling of the chair were accepted for the advantages. The tested birthing chair impedes operative deliveries from the perineal floor. These may become necessary unexpectedly during the second stage of labor. Under these circumstances the patient must be transferred to a conventional delivery table. This is psychologically and from a standpoint of the work load very disadvantageous. Therefore the EK-birthing chair is of limited usefulness in routine obstetrics. An ideal birthing chair in our opinion is a delivery bed which can be changed into a sitting position and into all intermediate positions between sitting and recumbent.