Open AccessThe descent of the fetal head is not modified by mobile epidural analgesia: a controlled sonographic study
Author(s) -
Maroni Elisa,
Youssef Aly,
Rainaldi Maria Pia,
Valentini Maria Viola,
Turchi Giovanni,
MorselliLabate Antonio Maria,
Paccapelo Alexandro,
Pacella Giuseppina,
Contro Elena,
Arcangeli Tiziana,
Rizzo Nicola,
Pilu Gianluigi,
Ghi Tullio
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.1111/aogs.12370
Subject(s) - medicine , fetal head , fetus , stage (stratigraphy) , ultrasound , head (geology) , descent (aeronautics) , anesthesia , surgery , pregnancy , radiology , paleontology , genetics , geomorphology , aerospace engineering , engineering , biology , geology
The aim of our study was to assess the sonographic indices of fetal head progression obtained by three‐dimensional ultrasound during the second stage of labor in women with and without mobile epidural analgesia. Sonographic volume data sets were obtained with a transperineal approach every 20 min from the beginning of the active second stage until delivery. The ultrasound parameters were calculated off‐line from each volume and compared between women with and without epidural analgesia. All the sonographic measurements of the fetal head descent were comparable at each time interval between the two groups. This observation suggests that mobile epidural analgesia is not likely to affect the dynamics of the second stage of labor.