Birth
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Effects of pushing techniques in birth on mother and fetus: a randomized study.
The Valsalva pushing technique is used routinely in the second stage of labor in many countries, and it is accepted as standard obstetric management in Turkey. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of pushing techniques on mother and fetus in birth in this setting. ⋯ Educating women about the spontaneous pushing technique in the first stage of labor and providing support for spontaneous pushing in the second stage result in a shorter second stage without interventions and in improved newborn outcomes. Women also stated that they pushed more effectively with the spontaneous pushing technique.
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The percentage of United States births delivered by cesarean section continues to increase, even for women considered to be at low risk for the procedure. The purpose of this study was to use an "intention-to-treat" methodology, as recommended by a National Institutes of Health conference, to examine neonatal mortality risk by method of delivery for low-risk women. ⋯ The finding that cesarean deliveries with no labor complications or procedures remained at a 69 percent higher risk of neonatal mortality than planned vaginal deliveries is important, given the rapid increase in the number of primary cesarean deliveries without a reported medical indication.