Continuous Labor Support Reduces Risk of Cesarean Section and Other Adverse Outcomes in Women and Newborns
Type of Caregiver Can Make a Big Difference in Labor Experience
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - February 16, 2011) - Women who labor with a dedicated support companion are less likely than women without such support to experience a series of risky birth procedures, according to a review published in the current issue of The Cochrane Library.
"Cesarean section, vacuum extraction and forceps, and pain medications are interventions that increase the likelihood of adverse short- and longer-term effects in women and babies. Continuous labor support is an important way for women to avoid overuse and harms of these practices, and to have a positive experience at this special time," said Carol Sakala, PhD, MSPH, Director of Programs at Childbirth Connection. Dr. Sakala is a co-author of the report.
Supportive care during labor and birth does not involve clinical care, and may include:
- helping women with physical comfort
- providing emotional support
- offering information
- helping women communicate their wishes to caregivers
- engaging women's husbands or partners, as desired by the couple.
Impact Depends on Type of Caregiver
The study provides new knowledge about effects of continuous labor support under different conditions. A major finding is that the impact of this care appears to differ, according to the type of person providing the care. Effects were strongest when the caregiver was neither a member of the hospital staff nor a person in the woman's social network, and was present solely to provide one-to-one supportive care, such as a doula. Compared with women who had no continuous support, women with companions who were neither on the hospital staff nor in the woman's social network were:
- 28% less likely to have a cesarean section
- 31% less likely to use synthetic oxytocin to speed labor
- 9% less likely to use any pain medication
- 34% less likely to rate their childbirth experience negatively.
When compared with no continuous support, continuous support by members of the hospital staff did not appear to reduce the likelihood of having a cesarean section or improve ratings of the childbirth experience and may have increased the likelihood of using synthetic oxytocin. These results may reflect the fact that hospital staff can experience divided loyalties, additional duties, and constraints of institutional policies when providing continuous support. Continuous support from a person in the mother's social network (for example, her partner, husband, other relative, or friend) appeared to increase the mother's satisfaction with her childbirth experience, but did not seem to impact her likelihood of undergoing a series of labor and birth interventions.
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http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Continuous-Labor-Support-Reduces-Risk-Cesarean-Section-Other-Adverse-Outcomes-Women-1397061.htm
