THE PARTOGRAPH: AN ESSENTIAL YET UNDERUTILIZED TOOL

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Maternal Mortality and Infant Mortality Reduction has been a goal of several International and National Welfare programmes for more than 2 decades now. Most of the maternal and neonatal morbidities are avoidable by applying very basic principles to our day to day practice and by revisiting the basic practices. Revitalization of partograph is one of them, which in spite of being very helpful to avoid the maternal and neonatal complications related with prolonged and obstructed labour; not being utilized properly. OBSERVATIONS: WHO has long back labeled Partograph as an essential tool to prevent maternal and neonatal complications, still its use does not seem to be worldwide. By reviewing the literature it has been observed that main hindrance in the use of this useful tool is related with the management and administration issues including logistic problems, shortage of staff, training and supervision inadequacy and inadequate attention being given to its inclusion as an essential labour monitoring tool starting from the learning periods of Nurses and Doctors. CONCLUSION: Partograph use needs to be encouraged more in countries like India where we wish to utilize peripheral staff and non obstetricians as a workforce for management of pregnant females. As we do not have effective peripheral level emergency obstetrics services, it is very crucial that every labouring woman should be referred at proper time in order to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes which can only be achieved by proper monitoring of labour by using a simple tool like Partograph.