Upright position during the first stage of labor: A randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Background. Evaluation of the upright position during the first stage of labor on pain, patient satisfaction, obstetrical and perinatal outcomes in nullipara women. Methods. This prospective, randomised, controlled trial included a group of 54 women who were informed and encouraged to adopt the upright position, and a control group of 53 women who were not given this information. The difference between groups was evaluated using the χ 2, Wilcoxon and Fisher's Exact tests. Significance was defined as p<0.05. Risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups in baseline characteristics, obstetrical and perinatal outcomes; however, there was a preference among women in both groups for the upright position. Conclusions. The upright position during the first stage of labor did not contribute towards a shorter duration of labor; however, it proved to be a safe and well-accepted option for the women of this study. © 2007 Taylor & Francis.