Spontaneous vaginal delivery in the birth-chair versus in the conventionaldorsal position: a matched controlled comparison

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the effect of a birth-chair on obst etric outcome. Patients and methods: We reviewed the hospital records of 220 consecutive p regnant women who gave birth on a birth-chair at our institution. The contr ol group consisted of 440 pregnant women who preceded and followed the inde x cases and who had spontaneous vaginal deliveries in the conventional dors al supine position. The controls were matched for parity and for the attend ing midwife. Results: Patients who delivered in the birth-chair had significantly lower rates of episiotomy and manual separation of the placenta. The umbilical bl ood cord pH was significantly higher in neonates of the birth-chair group. The duration of labour, rate of perineal and vaginal injury, Apgar scores a nd rate of admission to a neonatal intermediate care unit were not influenc ed by the mode of delivery. Conclusion: Our data support previous studies that a birth-chair delivery m ay be a safe alternative to conventional delivery in the supine position.