Duration of Second Stage of Labour and Perinatal Outcome

Lukman Yusuf

doi:10.26717/bjstr.2019.22.003688

Abstract

The second stage of labour (SSOL) is defined as duration from fully dilated cervix until delivery of the baby [1-7]. A prolonged second stage is depicted, in nulliparous patients, as a lack of..

Highlights

The second stage of labour (SSOL) is defined as duration from fully dilated cervix until delivery of the baby [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
Labour should be re-assessed in order to avoid poor neonatal outcomes especially if second stage of labour is protracted beyond an hour
Recommendation: national guideline on management of labour and perinatal audit at a central higher level ought to be in place

Summary

Introduction

The second stage of labour (SSOL) is defined as duration from fully dilated cervix until delivery of the baby [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. Almost all (99%) neonatal deaths arise in low and middle-income countries, the highest rates are generally registered in sub-Saharan Africa. The countries in these regions, with some exceptions, have made little progress in reducing such deaths in the past 10–15 years. The second stage of labour is regarded as the penultimate climax of the birth of the foetus It has been perceived as the most critical time with exposure to asphyxial insults and resultant subsequent residual damages for the foetus. To allay this anxiety and avoid untoward perinatal outcomes, it has been invoked to justify arbitrary time limits and high rates of interference to expedite the delivery as a preventative intervention

Methods

Results

Conclusion