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Background: Maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with duration of arrest of dilation beyond 4 hours are not well known. In addition, the current definition of arrest does not consider the degree of cervical dilation (6 cm vs 7 cm vs 8 cm vs 9 cm) when arrest occurs., Objective: We sought to examine maternal and neonatal outcomes in nulliparous women who achieved the active phase of labor according to the duration they required to achieve a cervical change of at least 1 cm (<4 hours vs 4-5.9 hours vs ≥6 hours) beginning at 6, 7, 8 and 9 cm., Study Design: This was a retrospective cohort study of nulliparous women with term singleton cephalic pregnancies in spontaneous or induced active labor (≥6 cm). To evaluate the effect of labor duration on maternal and fetal outcomes at different degrees of cervical dilation, we categorized women based on time intervals they required to achieve a cervical change of at least 1 cm after membrane rupture ("<4 hours," "4-5.9 hours," and "≥6 hours"), and we correlated each time interval with referent cervical dilation status (6 cm, 7 cm, 8 cm, and 9 cm). Maternal and neonatal outcomes were analyzed according to the duration to progress at least 1 cm starting from each degree of cervical dilation. Our primary outcome was a composite of neonatal outcomes, including intensive care unit admission, neonatal death, seizure, ventilator use, birth injury, and neonatal asphyxia. In addition, we examined maternal outcomes. Adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated, controlling for predefined covariates., Results: Of 31,505 nulliparous women included in this study, 13,142 (42%), 10,855 (34%), 11,761 (37%), and 17,049 (54%) reached documented cervical dilation of 6, 7, 8, and 9 cm, respectively. At cervical dilation of 6 or 7 cm, the arrest of dilation of <4 hours compared with arrest of dilation of 4 to 5.9 hours was associated with decreased risks of adverse maternal outcomes. When cervical dilation was 8 or 9 cm, arrest of dilation of <4 hours compared with arrest of dilation of 4 to 5.9 hours was associated with decreased risks of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. For example, women starting at a cervical dilation of 8 cm who required <4 hours to achieve a cervical change of 1 cm compared with those who required 4 to 5.9 hours had lower rates of cesarean delivery (adjusted odds ratio, 0.40; 95% confidence interval, 0.28-0.55), chorioamnionitis (adjusted odds ratio, 0.42; 95% confidence interval, 0.29-0.60), and the neonatal composite outcome (adjusted odds ratio, 0.51; 95% confidence interval, 0.36-0.72)., Conclusion: When cervical dilation is 6 or 7 cm, allowing arrest of dilation of ≥4 hours is reasonable because it was not associated with increased risks of adverse neonatal outcomes. When cervical dilation is 8 or 9 cm, the benefit of allowing arrest of dilation of ≥4 hours should be balanced against the risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The primary objective was to determine if newborns with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at a higher risk for acidosis at delivery as determined by cord blood gas analysis. The secondary objective was to determine whether specific fetal cardiac diagnosis, delivery method, or duration of labor is associated with an increased risk for acidosis. This was a retrospective study of newborns with CHD diagnosed prenatally and comparable patients without a CHD diagnosis. Study participants included 134 CHD-affected newborns and 134 controls. Median UA pH in CHD newborns was 7.22 (CI 7.2-7.4) and in controls it was 7.22 (CI 7.21-7.24), p = 0.91. There was no difference in median UA pH comparing newborns with single-ventricle CHD and two-ventricle CHD [7.23 (CI 7.2-7.26) vs. 7.22 (CI 7.22-7.24), p = 0.77], or newborns with CHD with aortic obstruction and those without aortic obstruction [7.23 (CI 7.21-7.26) vs. 7.22 (CI 7.2-7.24), p = 0.29]. After controlling for delivery method and duration of labor, CHD patients who underwent a spontaneous vaginal delivery were found to have a declining median UA pH as labor progressed. Our results show that newborns with CHD have a normal UA pH at delivery suggesting a compensated circulation in utero. Spontaneous vaginal delivery with a progressively longer duration of labor in CHD newborns was associated with lower UA pH. This suggests that fetuses with CHD may be at risk for hemodynamic instability at birth with a longer duration of labor as a potentially modifiable factor to improve outcome.

Objective: To evaluate maternal and neonatal outcomes by attempted mode of operative delivery from a low station in the second stage of labor., Methods: Retrospective study of 2,518 women carrying singleton fetuses at 37 weeks of gestation or greater who underwent attempted forceps-assisted delivery, attempted vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery, or cesarean delivery from a low station in the second stage of labor. Primary outcomes were stratified by parity and included a maternal adverse outcome composite (postpartum hemorrhage, transfusion, endometritis, peripartum hysterectomy, or intensive care unit admission) and a neonatal adverse outcome composite (5-minute Apgar score less than 4, respiratory morbidity, neonatal intensive care unit admission, shoulder dystocia, birth trauma, or sepsis)., Results: In nulliparous patients, the maternal adverse composite was not significantly different between women who underwent attempted forceps (12.1% compared with 10.8%, adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.40-1.34) or vacuum (8.3% compared with 10.8%, adjusted OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.40-1.16) delivery compared with cesarean delivery. Among parous women, the maternal adverse composite was not significantly different with attempted forceps (10.7% compared with 12.5%, adjusted OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.09-1.71) or vacuum (11.3% compared with 12.5%, adjusted OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.11-1.72) compared with cesarean delivery. Compared with neonates delivered by cesarean, the neonatal adverse composite was significantly lower among neonates born to nulliparous women who underwent attempted forceps (9.4% compared with 16.7%, adjusted OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.27-0.72) but not among those who underwent vacuum delivery (11.9% compared with 16.7%, adjusted OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.44-1.04). Among parous women, the neonatal adverse composite was not significantly different after attempted forceps (4.1% compared with 12.5%, adjusted OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.06-1.35) or vacuum (12.5% compared with 12.5%, adjusted OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.28-3.87) compared with cesarean delivery., Conclusion: A trial of forceps delivery from a low station compared with cesarean delivery was associated with decreased neonatal morbidity among neonates born to nulliparous women., Level of Evidence: II.