Managing labor using partograms with different action lines: A prospectivestudy of women's views

Background: The precise timing of medical intervention for women in prolong ed labor is the subject of considerable debate. The partogram action line i s a tool to assist practitioners in the correct diagnosis of prolonged labo r: Despite its widespread use, the precise timing of the action line has no t been rigorously studied, and women's views have rarely been sought. The a im of this study was to assess the effect on maternal satisfaction of manag ing labor using partograms with action lines drawn at 2, 3, or 4 hours to t he right of the alert line. Methods: As part of a large pilot randomized co ntrolled trial, women's views were explored using a specifically designed q uestionnaire that was completed by 615 primiparas 2 days after giving birth . The quantifiable data were analyzed by comparing means using ANOVA follow ed by the Scheffe rest. Results: Women in the 2-hour arm were significantly more satisfied than those in the other two arms (p < 0.001), despite havin g the most obstetric intervention, Conclusions: For women in prolonged labo r obstetric intervention can be an acceptable or even favorable option. Mid wives and obstetricians need to provide labor management that takes into ac count the preferences of the women to whom they give care.