Intrapartum ultrasound in second stage of labour
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Intrapartum ultrasound in second stage of labour: determining prognostic factors for type of birth
IRAS ID
307825
Contact name
Christoph Lees
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London, Joint Research Compliance Office
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
The aim of this study is to determine whether we can predict an assisted vaginal delivery (suction cup/forceps) or a caesarean section at full cervical dilatation with ultrasound. These operative types of delivery affect approximately 1 in 3 women who are having their first baby. Complications can arise for both the mother and baby during operative deliveries. Ultrasound might help to improve the safety of birth by increasing the accuracy of determining the baby’s head and spine position in the maternal pelvis. The current method of determining fetal head position and descent is done by abdominal palpation and internal digital vaginal examination. These traditional methods have limitations in being subjective, can be painful for the woman, and prone to error particularly in the second stage of labour with increasing swelling of the fetal scalp.
We will perform an ultrasound scan at the time when the clinical practitioner looking after the women’s care confirms the cervix is fully dilated (10 cm). Two forms of ultrasound will be performed: transabdominal (on the maternal abdomen) and transperineal (on the outside of the vagina). Ultrasound will be used to assess the baby’s head position and the baby’s head descent through the birth canal before the onset of pushing. The study will aim to establish a prediction model for operative delivery. The prediction in outcome could be useful to alert clinical practitioners on the estimated length of labour, planning for potentially difficult assisted deliveries, as well as counselling the woman about birth expectations.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 1 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/EM/0224
Date of REC Opinion
14 Oct 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion