Background: Labor monitoring is crucial for ensuring maternal and neonatal well-being. The traditional WHO Partograph and the WHO Labor Care Guide (LCG) are two widely used tools for monitoring labor progression. This study aimed to compare maternal and neonatal outcomes between labor monitored using the WHO Partograph and the WHO LCG among women delivering at a tertiary care hospital in Kashmir, India.
Methods: This prospective observational comparative study was conducted at the Postgraduate Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Lal Ded Hospital, Government Medical College Srinagar, over 18 months (July 2022 - December 2023). A total of 200 pregnant women with low-risk pregnancies were enrolled and randomized into two groups: Group A (labor monitored with the WHO Partograph) Group B (labor monitored with WHO LCG). Labor parameters, delivery outcomes, maternal complications, neonatal and patient satisfaction were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (SPSS v22), with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: Both groups had comparable sociodemographic characteristics (p> 0.05). There was no significant difference in mode of delivery (80% vs. 85% normal vaginal deliveries; p = 0.889), duration of labor stages (p> 0.05), or need for labor augmentation (p> 0.05). Maternal complications, including postpartum hemorrhage (10% vs. 8%; p = 0.677) and perineal trauma (5% vs. 4%; p = 0.448), were also similar between groups. Neonatal outcomes, including birth weight (p = 0.570), Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes (p> 0.05), and NICU admissions (7% vs. 6%; p = 0.234), were comparable. However, patient satisfaction was significantly higher in the WHO LCG group (95% vs. 82%, p = 0.004), and attendant satisfaction was greater (94% vs. 75%, p = 0.001).
Conclusion: Both the WHO Labor Care Guide and the Partograph were effective in monitoring labor with no significant differences in maternal and neonatal outcomes. However, the WHO LCG demonstrated superior patient and attendant satisfaction, emphasizing its potential as a preferred labor monitoring tool.
International Journal of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynaecology
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