Effects of ambulation during the active phase of first stage of labor on the type of delivery

Every year 150 million women become pregnant, but some of them do not have easy labors and have pain or even may die. Prolonged labor is one of the reasons for undergoing cesarean sections. Morbidity of CS is more than normal vaginal delivery. Prolonged labor will be preventable through special care in the maternity hospital so as to encourage mothers to walk during the first stage of labor, because this action shortens the course of labor. Therefore, we decided to study on ambulation effects during the active phase of first stage labor on the type of delivery. In this randomized clinical trial, 70 women of age 18 -35 years and primipara, gestational age 37 were divided randomly in two groups (35 experimental and 35 control). The women in the experimental group walked more than ½ course of labor, while there was no intervention in the control group. Findings showed that the rate of normal vaginal delivery was significantly different between the experimental group and the control one (33 people v/s 24 people p=0/006). The results also showed that rate of cesarean sections were significantly different in the two groups (2 person v/s 11 person p=0/006). It was, furthermore, found out that need of oxytocin was significantly different in the groups (7 people v/s 17 people p=0/012). Also, the time of second stage of labor was significantly different between the cases (39/29 minutes VS 47/46 minutes p=0/032). We came to the conclusion that ambulation during active phase of first stage of labor is effective on the type of delivery so we recommend maternity hospital administrators to urge pregnant mothers to ambulate at this stage of active delivery as a helpful factor.