Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSStudy to look at effects of epidural birthing position
A new study will assess whether adopting an upright position during the late stage of labour with an epidural gives a greater chance of having a straightforward birth.
The most effective form of pain relief in labour, an epidural analgesia is chosen by up to 30% of women in the UK each year. At present few women who have an epidural are encouraged to be upright in the late stage of labour.
The £2.6m study will involve around 3,000 women. Half will be encouraged by a midwife to adopt an upright posture – including walking, standing, sitting out of bed or sitting bolt upright in bed – right up to the birth, while the remainder will be asked to adopt a lying down position. The results are expected in 2015.
The research has been commissioned by the NHS Health Technology Assessment programme.
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Readers' comments (2)
REA MULLIGAN | 12-Feb-2010 9:32 am
I think this research ia important as so many women are forced to adopt a lying down position for their birth, which they often complain not to be as comfortable as the crouching / standing / straight back position. I look forward to the results of this research and hope that it highlights the need to push (as it were) for upright positions in future births.
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tina bartosiak | 12-Feb-2010 10:20 am
I also look forward to the study results with anticipation. The upright position for delivery, as in standing is wonderful, but as for the straight back sitting position in bed, I am not so convinced.
I worked on labour and delivery in the USA for 2 yrs, 90% of the women in that hospital had epidurals, the lying position was favoured for delivery and I saw only 2 vaccum deliveries. These were due to fetal compromise in 2nd stage.
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