Biomaterial Database

Pushing techniques in the second stage of labour. 1993

A M Thomson

Department of Nursing, University of Manchester, England.

It is routine to require women to 'take a deep breath in, hold it and push' in the second stage of labour, but there is no scientific evidence to support this practice. In a randomized controlled trial of spontaneous (n = 15) versus directed (n = 17) pushing in the second stage, no adverse effects of spontaneous pushing on the woman or baby were found. There was a negative correlation between the length of the second stage and the venous cord blood pH at delivery in the directed pushing group, suggesting that a long second stage was disadvantageous to the fetus when the woman was using a directed pushing technique. No such association was found in the spontaneous pushing group, despite the fact that the women in this group had a significantly longer mean second stage.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007748	Labor Stage, Second	The period of OBSTETRIC LABOR that is from the complete dilatation of the CERVIX UTERI to the expulsion of the FETUS.	Labor, Second Stage,Labor Stages, Second,Second Labor Stage,Second Labor Stages,Second Stage Labor,Stage, Second Labor,Stages, Second Labor
D008880	Midwifery	The practice of assisting women in childbirth.	Traditional Birth Attendant,Midwife,Midwives,Birth Attendant, Traditional,Birth Attendants, Traditional,Traditional Birth Attendants
D010100	Oxygen	An element with atomic symbol O, atomic number 8, and atomic weight [15.99903; 15.99977]. It is the most abundant element on earth and essential for respiration.	Dioxygen,Oxygen-16,Oxygen 16
D010865	Pilot Projects	Small-scale tests of methods and procedures to be used on a larger scale if the pilot study demonstrates that these methods and procedures can work.	Pilot Studies,Pilot Study,Pilot Project,Project, Pilot,Projects, Pilot,Studies, Pilot,Study, Pilot
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011256	Pregnancy Outcome	Results of conception and ensuing pregnancy, including LIVE BIRTH; STILLBIRTH; or SPONTANEOUS ABORTION. The outcome may follow natural or artificial insemination or any of the various ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNIQUES, such as EMBRYO TRANSFER or FERTILIZATION IN VITRO.	Outcome, Pregnancy,Outcomes, Pregnancy,Pregnancy Outcomes
D001945	Breathing Exercises	Therapeutic exercises aimed to deepen inspiration or expiration or even to alter the rate and rhythm of respiration.	Respiratory Muscle Training,Exercise, Breathing,Muscle Training, Respiratory,Training, Respiratory Muscle
D002245	Carbon Dioxide	A colorless, odorless gas that can be formed by the body and is necessary for the respiration cycle of plants and animals.	Carbonic Anhydride,Anhydride, Carbonic,Dioxide, Carbon
D005260	Female		Females
D005312	Fetal Blood	Blood of the fetus. Exchange of nutrients and waste between the fetal and maternal blood occurs via the PLACENTA. The cord blood is blood contained in the umbilical vessels (UMBILICAL CORD) at the time of delivery.	Cord Blood,Umbilical Cord Blood,Blood, Cord,Blood, Fetal,Blood, Umbilical Cord,Bloods, Cord,Bloods, Fetal,Bloods, Umbilical Cord,Cord Blood, Umbilical,Cord Bloods,Cord Bloods, Umbilical,Fetal Bloods,Umbilical Cord Bloods