Publication:

New World Health Organization labour care guide in reducing intrapartum caesarean section rates at tertiary care hospital-Hassan institute of medical sciences, Hassan

Background The Aim of this study was to assess whether labour monitoring using new WHO LCG will result in reducing intra partum caesarean sections.

Methods A analytical study was conducted from the month of September 2022 to January 2023 among 1735 pregnant women admitted at Hassan institute of Medical Sciences, in active phase of labour (5cm cervical dilatation and above) after obtaining informed consent.

Results In the present study, the New WHO Labour Care guide was plotted for 1735 pregnant women among which 1668 (96%) of the total patients had vaginal delivery, while 67 (4%) of the patients underwent Cesarean Section. Among the patients who underwent Cesarean Section it was found that1082 (94%) of the total Cesarean Sections were in latent phase of labour before plotting of the new WHO Labour care guide whereas only about 67 (6%) of Cesarean Section were conducted in active phase of labour. Among the patients who underwent LSCS in the active phase of labour majority were due to fetal distress 29(43%), 21(31%) due to Cephalopelvic disproportion, 13(20%) due to Non progression of labour and about 4(6%) due to Deep Transverse Arrest

Conclusions Majority of the caesarean sections were conducted in the latent phase of labour. The New WHO Labour Care guide has reduced the occurrence of intrapartum caesarean sections in the active phase of labour. However the overall rate of caesarean section must be controlled by reducing the number of Cesarean Sections conducted in latent phase of labour, that is before plotting the New WHO labour care guide.