None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This study aims to examine whether extra support from a midwife in early labour, before arrival at hospital, can safely reduce the number of women who give birth by caesarean. Women who agree to take part are allocated by chance to receiving this extra care, or to the usual support provided at the hospital. Once they arrive at hospital, care is provided according to the usual hospital practices.
Interventions
Standard care in early labour is to telephone the midwife in the hospital birthsuite and seek advice on whether or not to come to hospital. The intervention here is that a known midwife will provide enhanced support (via telephone and/or home visiting) to assist women in the early or latent phases of labour to remain at home until labour is well established unless there is a reason to be admitted earlier. The support will include listening to the woman, taking a detailed history, assessing her
Standard care in early labour is to telephone the midwife in the hospital birthsuite and seek advice on whether or not to come to hospital. The intervention here is that a known midwife will provide enhanced support (via telephone and/or home visiting) to assist women in the early or latent phases of labour to remain at home until labour is well established unless there is a reason to be admitted earlier. The support will include listening to the woman, taking a detailed history, assessing her current stage of labour and coping ability, advising whether or not to come to hospital, suggesting pain relief strategies and providing reassurance. This will be the midwife's main role, whereas midwives usually providing such guidance are concurrently providing care to women already admitted to hospital in labour. The study midwife will also visit the woman at home if this would be helpful (to be decided on an individual basis by the woman and the midwife). The duration of this additional support will vary according to individual needs between around 15 minutes and 3 hours.
Sponsors
Monash University
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Prevention
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
0 to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Women at normal risk of complication having their first baby booked at a participating hospital; live within 30 minutes drive of the hospital; English speaking.
Exclusion criteria
Complications of pregnancy that would indicate early admission to hospital in labour e.g. fetal growth restriction, antepartum haemorrhage, planned caesarean section
Outcome results
None listed