Women In Labor Research Articles

Fermenting shea nuts using the traditional pit method yields better physicochemical properties with potential environmental benefits

Shea oil, a globally consumed commodity, is intricately linked to the labor of women in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study examines local perceptions and adoption of a traditional shea nut fermentation method using subterranean pits in rural West African communities, and the chemical profiles of the kernels processed through different traditional methods. Key findings are that 1) local processors prefer the pit method due to its convenience and efficiency, and 2) lipid analyses indicate that fermenting shea nuts for three to six months results in an optimal chemical profile, characterized by lower free fatty acid (more than threefold) and polar lipid (more than 15-fold) content compared to boiled kernels. This enhances quality and mechanical processability, both criteria desirable for industrial applications. This study fills an important gap by chemically characterizing a traditional shea processing practice that has received little scientific attention. The results imply that the pit method holds potential for industrial shea oil extraction and for reducing firewood and water use in producing communities. However, this potential depends on fair benefit-sharing, local communities’ willingness to adopt the new practice, and overcoming the challenges for scaling up.

Intrapartum monitoring of the fetal heart rate using transabdominal electrocardiography: A reliability and accuracy study.

Intrapartum monitoring of the fetal heart rate using transabdominal electrocardiography: A reliability and accuracy study.

Double balloon catheter induction of labor in pregnant women with COVID-19 infection

BackgroundTo identify the effectiveness and safety induction using a double-balloon catheter in the setting of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID−19) infection.MethodsThis retrospective study included 577 COVID−19-afected women who underwent induction of labor with a double balloon catheter or spontaneously started delivery between December 7, 2022, and June 20, 2023; 154 women underwent induction of labor (double balloon catheter, study group) and 423 women underwent spontaneous started delivery (control group). Maternal and neonatal outcomes and complications during labor were assessed and compared.ResultsDuration of the first stage of labor and total labor in the study group were significantly shorter than those in the control group (P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of maternal delivery complications (P > 0.05). The two groups did differ significantly in the occurrences of pregnancy induced hypertension and gestational diabetes mellitus (P < 0.05). The neonatal prognosis was similar between the two groups (P > 0.05). After adjusting for maternal age, body mass index, gestational age at delivery, gestational age at infection, gravidity, parity, oxytocin administration and failure of progress of labor, multivariate logistic regression analysis found that COVID−19-afected women who received the double balloon catheter were not associated with an increased risk of fetal distress, intrapartum fever and cesarean section (P > 0.05).ConclusionsDouble balloon catheter is an effective and safe method for labor induction in pregnant women with COVID−19 and is not associated with an increased risk of fetal distress, intrapartum fever and cesarean section.

Prediction of neonatal acidemia at birth with total deceleration area on intrapartum cardiotocogram

Aim & objectiveThe diagnosis of foetal distress in a clinical setting is based on foetal cardiotocography findings during labour. This study aims to analyse the total deceleration area (TDA) on...

Centering marginalized care: Home care cooperatives and system change.

Home care workers (HCWs), who provide paid in-home support for daily activities, are at the center of the care received by millions of Americans. However, HCWs are profoundly marginalized professionally and economically within our political-economic system, which devalues care work, public goods, and the labor of women, immigrants, and workers of color. This systemic marginalization has contributed to the impoverishment of millions of HCWs and massive workforce shortages, which prevent millions of Americans from accessing the consistent care they need. Home care cooperatives-businesses co-owned and controlled by HCWs-represent an alternative approach that places HCWs at the center. By providing greater compensation, training opportunities, and control over workplace decisions, home care cooperatives have achieved greater continuity of care and half the turnover rates compared with traditional agencies. They demonstrate what is possible when HCWs are centered at an organizational level and what could be achieved if HCWs were centered at a system level. This latter possibility requires the following: (1) reclaiming care work as a public good and investing in it accordingly; (2) structurally empowering HCWs within the care team and broader economy; and (3) new narratives about HCWs that recognize their skills, value, and centrality in providing quality care.

The Dynamics of Transaminase and Alkaline Phosphatase Activities in the “Mother–Placenta–Fetus” Functional System

The Dynamics of Transaminase and Alkaline Phosphatase Activities in the “Mother–Placenta–Fetus” Functional System

Socio-economic Conditions of Women Workers in Unorganised Sector in Mettur Taluk

In this article mainly focused on an unorganized worker is a home-based worker or a self-employed worker or a wage worker in the unorganized sector. Objectives of the article points out that, socio-economic conditions, wage discrimination, problems faced by them as an informal worker. The questionnaire had totally 50 samples were collected in 2024-2025 by using random sampling method. In this article has been discussed about Un organized women laborers doesn’t have any union, job security, equal wage for equal work, constant work place, hygiene working area, etc. In India, we have fundamental rights, legislative and judicial assurance and protection. Even though the constitutional provisions and legislation give more rights and concentration on unorganized women labor, those are not reached to them due to their ignorance and illiteracy. Unorganized women workers are socially and economically lower people. In this article, have been also discussed about their wage discrimination with men counterpart workers in the working field.

Mifepristone and misoprostol versus misoprostol alone for induction of labor in women with intrauterine fetal death: Ameta-analysis and systematic review.

Misoprostol is largely used in labor induction in cases of intrauterine fetal death. However, recent randomized clinical trials (RCTs) showed that the combination of mifepristone and misoprostol might have better effects than the use of misoprostol alone. To compare mifepristone and misoprostol lines of treatment. Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane and Web of Science databases were systematically searched until April 9, 2024. The eligibility criteria were (1) RCT, (2) comparing misoprostol alone versus the combined treatment, (3) patients undergoing labor induction due to intrauterine fetal death and (4) reporting at least one relevant outcome. Data were examined using the Mantel-Haenszel method and 95% CIs. Heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statics. R, version 4.2.3 was used for statistical analysis. The analyzed outcomes were delivery time interval, adverse effects (fever, vomiting, diarrhea and nausea) and the preinduction Bishop score. Other important outcomes, such as uterus rupture, could not be included due to lack of data from the included studies. A total of seven RCTs comprising 599 patients with intrauterine fetal death were randomized to misoprostol or combined treatment to induce labor. Compared to the misoprostol only group, combined treatment presented lower delivery time interval (MD -6.86 h; 95% CI: -10.32 to -3.4; P = 0.0001; I2 = 87%). However, in terms of adverse effects, the combined treatment group presented lower occurrence of fever (2.25% vs 12.12%; RR 0.26; 95% CI: 0.09-0.74; P = 0.01; I2 = 0%) and vomiting (7.64% vs 14.45%; RR 0.54; 95% CI: 0.29-1.01; P = 0.05; I2 = 0%). No statistically significant differences were observed when comparing the preinduction Bishop score of the two groups (MD -0.09; 95% CI: -0.28-0.10; P = 0.35; I2 = 0%). Additionally, the mean of the preinduction Bishop score of the combined treatment was 2 versus 2.1 of the control group. In this updated meta-analysis, consistent results suggest that the combined treatment is associated with more beneficial outcomes than the misoprostol alone treatment in patients undergoing labor induction in intrauterine fetal death.

Multicentre double-blind randomised placebo-controlled four-arm trial to assess the effect of oral sodium bicarbonate and intravenous hyoscine butylbromide on spontaneous delivery after induction of labour in nulliparous women: protocol for the Safe Induction of Labour Trial (SAINT)

IntroductionPresently, more than one in four births in high-income countries undergo labour induction. Induction of labour is an independent risk factor for adverse obstetric outcomes, including high rates of operative...

Atosiban and managing women in preterm labour.

Atosiban and managing women in preterm labour.

The Safety and Effectiveness of Electroacupuncture for Labor Pain Relief: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Labor pain is among the most intense forms of pain, significantly impacting physical and psychological well-being. Although epidural anesthesia is effective, it has side effects and limited accessibility. Electroacupuncture (EA) offers a low-risk alternative. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the safety and effectiveness of EA in relieving labor pain and duration.Methods: Randomized controlled trials comparing EA with standard treatments, including epidural anesthesia, were identified through database searches up to August 2024. The primary outcome was pain reduction (assessed using the visual analog scale), and the secondary outcomes were labor duration (1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; and 2&lt;sup&gt;nd&lt;/sup&gt; stages), Apgar scores, and adverse effects.Results: In the analysis there were 10 randomized controlled trials (involving 1,498 women in labor) included in this review. EA statistically significantly improved both the level of pain and reduced labor duration compared with those women who received standard treatments (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001). Apgar scores were assessed in 3 studies and determined that the physical condition of the delivered babies was not statistically significantly different between EA and standard treatment for labor pain. Study protocol indicated the recording of adverse effects in one of the ten studies. Adverse events in that study recorded mild localized discomfort (1.89%, &lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 1).Conclusion: EA reduced labor pain and duration, and demonstrated its potential as an alternative to the conventional approaches for managing labor pain. The limited data suggest EA is likely safe, but further research is needed to confirm its safety profile.

Analysis of the activities of the maternity service at the Republic of Mari El

Relevance. Maternity protection is an urgent area of health development, since the health of the expectant mother largely determines the health of the future child. The purpose of the study is to identify trends in complications of parturition and the postpartum period in the Republic of Mari El for 2010–2022. Materials and methods. The authors analyzed forms No. 32 “Information on medical care for pregnant women, women in labor and maternity women” using methods of epidemiological analysis and medical statistics. Results. A 49.3% decrease in normal labor was found (M ± SD 40 ± 7; 95% CI 36–44; p ˃ 0.05), an increase in the incidence of the studied cohort by 13% (M ± SD 600 ± 70; 95% CI 557–642; p ˃ 0.05), a decrease in the incidence of edema, proteinuria and hypertensive disorders by 14.3% (M ± SD 100 ± 17; 95% CI 89–110; p ˃ 0.05), since 2015 — a decrease in moderate preeclampsia by 19.8%, eclampsia by 22.5%, an increase in severe preeclampsia by 1.2%. A tendency to increase the incidence of diabetes mellitus has been established. There was a twofold increase in bleeding due to blood clotting disorders, a 30.4% decrease in labour disorders (M ± SD 105 ± 17; 95% CI 95–116; p ˃ 0.05), an increase in obstructed labour by 27.5% (M ± SD 66.54 ± 34.70; 95% CI 45.57–87.51; p ˃ 0,05). Anemia is the leader in the structure of diseases in 2010 and 2022 (45.67% and 30.32%), labour disorders (15.36%) in 2010 and diabetes mellitus (22.81%) in 2022 are in second place, edema, proteinuria and hypertensive disorders are in the third place in 2010 and 2022 (13.3% and 11.0%). Research limitations. the present study was limited to the data of diseases that complicated childbirth on the territory of the Republic of Mari El. Conclusion. There is a tendency to increase the incidence in pregnant women, severe preeclampsia, diabetes mellitus, the prevalence of bleeding due to blood clotting disorders, and difficult parturition. The results of this study allowed identifying trends in morbidity that can be taken into account when planning preventive programs.

Effectiveness of warm compresses on the incidence of perineal rupture in phase II labor

Background: Perineal rupture is a common complication during the second stage of labor, particularly among primiparous women, leading to maternal morbidity. Warm compresses have been suggested as an intervention to reduce perineal rupture by promoting muscle relaxation and elasticity. However, their effectiveness remains inconclusive. Objective: To analyze the effect of warm compress application on the incidence of perineal rupture during the second stage of labor in primiparous women. Method: This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-test and post-test design involving 10 primiparous women at 18 to 29 years old divided into intervention (n=5) and control (n=5) groups. Warm compresses were applied for 20 minutes during the second stage of labor in the intervention group. Data were collected using partograph sheets and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, with a significance level of p&lt;0.05. Result: Among the intervention group, 40% experienced no laceration, 20% had first-degree laceration, and 40% had second-degree laceration. In the control group, 40% had no laceration, and 60% suffered second-degree laceration. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference in the incidence of perineal rupture between the groups (p=0.452). Conclusion: Warm compresses did not significantly reduce the incidence of perineal rupture during the second stage of labor. Further research with a larger sample size and broader variables is recommended to validate these findings.

The impact of pregnant women’s anxiety levels on the course of labor

In Ukraine, the demographic crisis exacerbates the importance of the issue of reproductive health.The objective: to study the features of uterine labor activity depending on the level of anxiety of the pregnant woman for improvement the management of pregnancy and childbirth.Materials and methods. During the preparatory stage of the study, we recorded and analyzed electromyohysterograms in 69 women in labor with its physiological course. The normal electromyography indicators with physiological contractile activity of the uterus in labor were determined. At the main stage of the study, we conducted a prospective clinical examination of 124 pregnant women who were interviewed by Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and were subsequently divided into 3 groups depending on the level of reactive anxiety: I group – 38 women in labor with a low reactive anxiety level; II group – 35 women in labor with a moderate reactive anxiety level; III group – 51 women in labor with a high reactive anxiety level. Uterine electromyography was performed using a digital USB-oscilloscope «Hantek-6022BE». The level of anxiety in pregnant women was determined by questionnaire (Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory).Results. Normal labor activity was typical for 57.9% of pregnant women in the I group, 82.9% – in the II group and 60.8% of pregnant women in the III group (p&lt;0.05). The frequency of weak labor activity was significantly different in pregnant women in the I and III groups – 36.8% and 23.5%, respectively, compared with the II group – 14.3% of cases (p &lt; 0.05). Among pregnant women in the III group the hyperactive type of labor activity was detected in 9.8%, which is significantly higher than in the I and II groups (2.6% and 2.9%, respectively, p &lt; 0.05). In pregnant women of the I and III groups the cases of discoordinated labor activity were detected, which was registered in 5.2% of pregnant women in the I group and in 5.9% in the III group, in pregnant women of the II group the discoordinated labor activity was not registered.Conclusions. The study revealed clear changes in uterine contractile activity depending on the level of reactive anxiety, in particular, the indicator of weakness of labor activity at a low reactive anxiety level was almost 2.6 times higher than the indicator in other groups, and hyperactive labor activity at a high anxiety was 3.4 times higher than the indicators of other groups.

A global migration industry in local contexts: Home care and domestic work brokerage in Austria and Sri Lanka

This article investigates the transnational marketization and corporatization of domestic services by brokers. Polanyian, institutional logics, and intersectional perspectives and findings on capitalism and violence provide a theoretical framework to understand brokerage as mode of service provision creating and shaping hybrid and unequal work and care arrangements. The Austrian context is a paradigmatic example for the European mode of senior home care provision by recruiting female migrant workers from Central and Eastern Europe and placing them in Austrian middle- and upper-class households. The Sri Lankan context is a paradigmatic example for a labour brokerage state, which exploits (paid) household labour of women that satisfy the needs of upper- and middle-class households in the Middle East. Contextual global sociology offers a critical lens to compare the ways in which brokerage is politically, socially, and culturally embedded and creates similar and different modes of service provision based on social inequalities.

Some issues of the clinical course of central nervous system damage in newborns

Aim. To study the impact of risk factors on the development of brain damage in the perinatal period.Material and methods. The work is based on a retrospective analysis of the medical documentation of the maternity hospital and the “mother and child” department of the state institution MC “Istiklol” in Dushanbe. The analysis included birth histories and developmental charts of newborns for the period from 2019 to 2021. In the process, data from statistical accounting form 32 “Report on medical care of pregnant women, women in labour, postpartum women and newborns” were used. Approved by the order of the State Statistics Service under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan No. 054 of 11 October 2013, the analysis covered the period from 2017 to 2021.Results and discussion. The highest number of children with birth injuries in the republic over the five analyzed years was recorded in 2018, with 2,020 cases. In 2021, the total number of children with birth injuries was 1,879.Over the five-year period, the incidence of birth injuries decreased by 20.9%; however, the number of affected children increased by 393 cases.In the city of Dushanbe, the highest number of newborns diagnosed with intrauterine hypoxia was recorded in 2019, with 962 cases, accounting for 7.4% of all children born sick or who developed illnesses. In 2021, a decrease in the proportion of children born sick was observed, with a reduction rate of 53.3%.Conclusions. An unstable trend in the reduction of the number of children born sick or who developed illnesses has been identified, with an increase in this indicator observed in 2021 compared to other years.The proportion of children who experienced intrauterine hypoxia has shown a clear downward trend over the fiveyear period. The number of children born with asphyxia in Dushanbe exhibits a pronounced tendency toward reduction.

On the edge of love and pain: emotional and affective labour in women’s online literature production in China

ABSTRACT In recent decades, online literature has emerged as a significant component of China’s cultural and creative industries, with women playing an increasingly critical role as writers. Despite their substantial contributions, women’s online literature production has received limited scholarly attention. This study adopts a gendered perspective to analyse the emotional and affective labour involved in women’s online literature production in China. By conceptualizing this creative process as ‘writing on the edge of love and pain’, the research highlights how female writers navigate the complex dynamics of capitalist markets, state censorships, and gendered cultural expectations while fostering spaces for bond building and feminist critique. Through semi-structured interviews with female online writers, this study examines the interplay between women’s self-resilience and structural constraints, revealing how their labour simultaneously reinforces and resists systemic inequalities. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of gendered cultural production in the digital era, shedding light on the transformative potential of women’s creative and affective labour in reshaping gender norms and advocating for social change.

Transfusionrelated acute lung injury (TRALI-syndrome) in critical states and its prevention measures

Aim. To study the prevalence of transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI).Material and methods. A retrospective and prospective analysis of the medical histories of 3,750 women in labour and postpartum women with class III-IV (WHO) haemorrhage, 756 patients with acute gastroduodenal haemorrhage of ulcerative etiology, 150 victims of polytrauma complicated by massive haemorrhage was undertaken. In addition, the results of transfusion therapy of 7,325 oncological and haematological patients hospitalised at the Research Institute of Paediatric Oncology, Haematology and Transplantation named after R. Gorbacheva were analysed.Results and discussion. TRALI was diagnosed in 24 patients and “possible TRALI” in 5 obstetric patients, or 0.77% of cases. The frequency of TRALI and “possible TRALI” was 1 case per transfusion of 870.3 doses of donated blood and blood components. In surgical patients - 4 and 2 (0.79%) respectively (1 case per transfusion out of 765 doses of blood components). In polytrauma patients, the diagnosis of “possible TRALI” was made in 3 patients (2.0%). 4 cases of TRALI and 5 cases of “possible TRALI” were diagnosed in patients with oncological and oncohematological profiles. The frequency of TRALI and “possible TRALI” was 1 case per 16,155 transfusions.Conclusion. Transfusion of blood components is a high risk factor for the development of TRALI, especially from female donors with a history of multiple pregnancies and childbirth. In order to prevent TRALI, it is necessary to screen the blood of female donors for the presence of anti-HNA, anti-HLA antibodies, or to discontinue the clinical use of plasma-containing components of blood from female donors and to arrange for the preparation of platelet concentrate in an additional solution.

Effectiveness of Intracervical Foley Catheter for Induction of Labor in Women With Singleton Term Pregnancy and Previous Lower Segment Cesarean Section: A Pilot Study.

Current clinical practice advocates and supports a trial of labor after one previous lower segment cesarean section (LSCS) if the pregnant woman wishes to have a vaginal delivery. Induction of labor with pharmacological agents can pose a risk of uterine rupture in women with previous LSCS. Induction with mechanical methods is a safe alternative. However, the data regarding its effectiveness is limited. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of intracervical Foley catheter for induction of labor in women with singleton term pregnancy and one previous LSCS. This was a cross-sectional retrospective pilot study conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nizwa Hospital, Ministry of Health, in Nizwa, Oman. The data of women who fulfilled the eligibility criteria was collected from the hospital's electronic medical records system "Al-Shifa" from October 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024. The change in modified Bishop score, oxytocin requirement, induction delivery interval, mode of delivery, maternal complications, and neonatal outcome were observed. Data analysis was done using the R software (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria (https://www.R-project.org/)). Out of the 64 women who underwent induction of labor, 42 (65.62%) had a vaginal birth after cesarean section (VBAC). There was a statistically significant improvement in the modified Bishop score (p<0.0001) after induction of labor. The VBAC success rate was 84.6% among those with previous VBAC as compared to 52.6% for those without previous VBAC. No significant maternal or fetal complications were observed. Induction of labor with intracervical Foley catheter serves as an effective method for improving the modified Bishop score in women with previous LSCS and thus increases the chance of a successful VBAC.

Exploring early labour care in the context of an institutional reorganisation towards a more women-centred approach: An ethnographic field study.

Exploring early labour care in the context of an institutional reorganisation towards a more women-centred approach: An ethnographic field study.