Warm bath during labour. Effects on labour duration and maternal and fetal infectious morbidity

Abstract

SummaryThe purpose of this study was to investigate, in a prospective manner. whether a warm bath during the first stage (if labour is associated with an increased risk of maternal and/or neonatal postpartum infectious morbidity and to examine the advantages and disadvantage, of bathing during labour. We undertook a prospective study of 317 patients with an uncomplicated pregnancy, who delivered a single infant between 37 and 42 weeks of gestation and who elected to have a warm bath during labour and compared them with a similar group of 312 patients who had no such desire. The postpartum maternal and neonatal infectious morbidity was compared as well as labour duration and the need of pain relief. This study showed that taking a warm bath during first stage of labour with intact-or ruptured membranes is associated with a significantly higher minor infectious morbidity for the mother while no increased risk was found for the child compared with the non-bathing control group. A significant prolongation of ...