Upright position during the first stage of labor: a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Evaluation of the upright position during the first stage of labor on pain, patient satisfaction, obstetrical and perinatal outcomes in nullipara women. METHODS: This prospective, randomised, controlled trial included a group of 54 women who were informed and encouraged to adopt the upright position, and a control group of 53 women who were not given this information. The difference between groups was evaluated using the chi2, Wilcoxon and Fisher's Exact tests. Significance was defined as p<0.05. Risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found between the groups in baseline characteristics, obstetrical and perinatal outcomes; however, there was a preference among women in both groups for the upright position. CONCLUSIONS: The upright position during the first stage of labor did not contribute towards a shorter duration of labor; however, it proved to be a safe and well-accepted option for the women of this study.