[The effect of the presence of the husband during childbirth]

In the course of 1994 a particular number of deliveries were examined in the maternity ward of the Clinical Hospital "Sestre milosrdnice". Randomly a hundred pregnant women were chosen whose husbands were present at the childbirth. The same number of women delivered their babies without their husband's presence. The duration of labor was examined as well as APGAR score, threatening intrauterine asphyxia, uterine inertia, prolonged labor, induced labor, medical analgesia, and the frequency of cesarean section and vacuum extraction. In the group, in which the husband was present, the labor was shorter, the number of threatening intrauterine asphyxia cases and cesarean sections was smaller, but there were more induced deliveries. Contrary to all expectations, the uterine inertia with the administration of oxytocin was comparably present in both groups, the same as medical analgesia. Other above mentioned parameters were also comparably present in both groups. The level of labor analgesia was not examined in particular to avoid the subjective factor, and besides, the aim was to achieve the maximal possible analgesia. The results suggest the importance of husband's presence at childbirth. Apart from being a very important psychosocial factor, reducing the duration of labor as well as the frequency of threatening intrauterine asphyxia and cesarean section, it also directly affects the course and result of labor.