PubMed · 1990 · 79 citations · 0 references
MedicineMaternal HealthObstetricsMaternal-fetal MedicineObstetric ComplicationsParturitionAugmentation Of LaborCesarean DeliveryLabor ManagementLabor PhysiologyLabor ProgressPregnancyBirth Weight AssessmentForceps UseMaternal OxytocinOxytocin AugmentationOxytocin InductionOxytocin SecretionOxytocin UseRisk Factors For Dystocia
The study tested whether higher birth weight directly increases dystocia risk in nulliparous women. It examined the first 1,000 nulliparous deliveries in 1988 after 37 weeks with a single cephalic fetus, using standardized labor management. Higher birth weight was associated with longer labor, longer second stage, more oxytocin use, and higher rates of cesarean and forceps for dystocia, independent of gestation and oxytocin.
The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesis that dystocia in nulliparas is directly related to birth weight. The study was confined to the first 1000 nulliparas delivered in 1988 who went into labor after 37 weeks' gestation with a single live fetus and cephalic presentation. The management of labor was standardized. As birth weight increased, there was an increase in the mean duration of labor and of the second stage of labor, in the incidence of oxytocin augmentation, and in the incidence of both cesarean and forceps delivery for dystocia. The direct relationship between birth weight and the mean duration of labor was independent of gestation and oxytocin augmentation. These findings suggest that birth weight is an important factor in the development of dystocia in nulliparas.