Modeling longitudinal data with a random change point and no time-zero: Applications to inference and prediction of the labor curve

In some longitudinal studies the initiation time of the process is not clearly defined, yet it is important to make inference or do predictions about the longitudinal process. The application of interest in this article is to provide a framework for modeling individualized labor curves (longitudinal cervical dilation measurements) where the start of labor is not clearly defined. This is a well-known problem in obstetrics where the benchmark reference time is often chosen as the end of the process (individuals are fully dilated at 10 cm) and time is run backwards. This approach results in valid and efficient inference unless subjects are censored before the end of the process, or if we are focused on prediction. Providing dynamic individualized predictions of the longitudinal labor curve prospectively (where backwards time is unknown) is of interest to aid obstetricians to determine if a labor is on a suitable trajectory. We propose a model for longitudinal labor dilation that uses a random-effects model with unknown time-zero and a random change point. We present a maximum likelihood approach for parameter estimation that uses adaptive Gaussian quadrature for the numerical integration. Further, we propose a Monte Carlo approach for dynamic prediction of the future longitudinal dilation trajectory from past dilation measurements. The methodology is illustrated with longitudinal cervical dilation data from the Consortium of Safe Labor Study.