The Efficacy of Maternal Lateral Decubitus Position During Labor in Correcting Fetal Occiput Posterior Position and Childbirth Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Fetal occiput posterior (OP) position during labor may be associated with negative maternal and neonatal outcomes. It is therefore necessary for the mothers to have active participation in changing their position during the labor in order to facilitate OP rotation. The present study aimed to investigate whether maternal lateral decubitus position during labor can correct fetal OP position and childbirth outcomes.

In this systematic review, searches were made in the databases of Medline, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Controlled Trials Register as well as Persian databases including SID, Magiran and IranMedex from inception to September 2021. Eligible randomized controlled trials evaluating the effect of maternal position on fetal OP position during labor were selected. Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials was used to assess the quality of included articles.

Four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) met the eligibility criteria. They included 871 participants, who were divided into two groups. overall, no difference was reported between the intervention and control groups in terms of the rate of occiput anterior position at birth. The mother's position in the same or opposite direction of the fetal occiput had no role in the spontaneous vaginal delivery rate and other outcomes and neonatal Apgar score.                           

The lateral decubitus position of mother during labor played no role in fetal head rotation toward the OP position or delivery outcomes.