IMR Press / CEOG / Volume 49 / Issue 9 / DOI: 10.31083/j.ceog4909197
Open Access Original Research
Intrapartum Ultrasound in Maternal Lateral Position. A Prospective Observational Study
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1 Obstetric Department, Hospital Universitario La Paz, 28046 Madrid, Spain
*Correspondence: marxichos@hotmail.com (Marcos Javier Cuerva)
These authors contributed equally.
Academic Editor: José Antonio Sainz Bueno
Clin. Exp. Obstet. Gynecol. 2022, 49(9), 197; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.ceog4909197
Submitted: 19 March 2022 | Revised: 2 June 2022 | Accepted: 13 June 2022 | Published: 26 August 2022
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intrapartum Ultrasound)
Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: Intrapartum ultrasound (ITU) techniques have been described only in maternal semi-recumbent position. However, other birthing positions, such as side-lying, are more comfortable for many mothers. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that ITU measurements can be obtained in maternal lateral positions during the second stage of labor. Methods: A single-center, prospective observational study was conducted. Women who preferred a side-lying position during the second stage of labor participated in the study. The women were asked to grasp their upper knee and flex it to perform the ultrasound scan. The transducer was first placed in the frontal plane and then rotated to the midsagittal plane (the probe was placed at the level of the fourchette). Results: 34 women participated in the study. Position of the fetal head, angle of progression, and head-perineum distance with and without contraction were obtained in all women. There was a moderate correlation between the head-perineum distance with contraction and the ITU to birth time (r = 0.466; p = 0.009). Conclusions: ITU in maternal lateral position (side-lying) is a simple technique that avoids unnecessary changing of position during the second stage of labor.

Keywords
intrapartum ultrasound
childbirth
labor
lateral position
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