The impact of the integrated labor-delivery-recovery-postpartum unit on maternal–neonatal outcomes and psychological experiences among low-risk parturients: a prospective cohort study from a high-volume tertiary center in china

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Objective To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of the integrated labor-delivery-recovery-postpartum (LDRP) model among low-risk parturients at a tertiary hospital in China. Methods A total of 542 low-risk, full-term, singleton parturients voluntarily selected either the LDRP or traditional delivery mode. Outcomes between groups were compared using propensity score matching, multivariate regression, Bayesian analysis, and machine learning. Results The LDRP group had shorter labor duration (7.3 h vs. 9.8 h), and significantly lower cesarean section rates (1.2% vs. 4.6%) and neonatal transfer rates (5.4% vs. 16.0%; all P < 0.05). Postpartum hemorrhage rates were also lower in the LDRP group (1.2% vs. 6.0%), but this difference was not statistically significant after multivariate adjustment ( P = 0.235). Women in the LDRP group more frequently reported feeling “calm and relaxed” (17.7% vs. 0.4%) but had higher latent-phase pain scores (2.0 vs. 1.0). Bayesian analysis confirmed that LDRP independently reduced neonatal transfer risk, though its protective effect against postpartum hemorrhage was insufficiently robust. Conclusion The LDRP model effectively shortens labor, reduces cesarean section and neonatal transfer rates, and improves maternal psychological experience. Its independent protective effect on postpartum hemorrhage requires further validation.