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A comparison of fetal outcome in birth chair and delivery table births
Author(s) -
Cottrell Barbara H.,
Shannahan Mary K.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
research in nursing and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1098-240X
pISSN - 0160-6891
DOI - 10.1002/nur.4770100406
Subject(s) - medicine , table (database) , obstetrics , outcome (game theory) , pregnancy , computer science , biology , mathematics , mathematical economics , data mining , genetics
This study was conducted to determine the effect of the birth chair on fetal outcome in primigravid subjects with a normal pregnancy and labor. A quasi‐experimental design was used to compare 33 birth‐chair deliveries with 22 delivery‐table deliveries. No difference between groups was found in the mean pH and pO 2 of arterial and venous cord blood samples. The mean arterial pCO 2 was lower in the chair group (49.25 and 44.50, p = 0.023), but there was no difference in venous pCO 2 . In the chair group, the mean vein pO 2 was higher when the angle of the chair was more than 45° upright (22.3 and 28.4, p = 0.007). Means for chair and table groups were similar for maternal hemoglobin, breathholding while pushing, duration of second stage, time of first cry, time of cord clamping, and Apgar scores. Incidence of cord around the neck was identical. The mean one‐minute Apgar scores were significantly higher when chair or table was more than 30° upright (8.0 and 8.59, p = 0.037). Results suggest that the birth chair is a safe alternative to the delivery table in terms of fetal outcome. The findings of lower arterial pCO 2 with unchanged pO 2 and pH in the chair group, support earlier findings of less transient cord compression in upright positions.