Perinatal outcomes in the setting of active phase labor arrest

Objective To detect the association between active phase arrest and perinatal outcomes.Methods This was a retrospective study of nulliparous women with term,singleton,cephalic gestations diagnosed with active phase arrest of labor from January 1st 2009 to December 31th 2009.Women with active phase arrest who underwent cesarean delivery were compared to those who delivered vaginally.The association between active phase arrest,mode of delivery and perinatal outcomes was evaluated using univariable and multivariable logistic regression models.Results We identified 417women with active phase arrest:212(50.8%)delivered vaginally and the rest 205(49.2%)cases were delivered by cesarean section.Compared to women who had cesarean delivery,women who delivered vaginally had a lower BMI and smaller infants.Cesarean delivery was associated with an increased risk of chorioamnionitis,puerperal infection,postpartum hemorrhage and severe postpartum hemorrhage(P0.05). There was no difference in adverse neonatal outcomes between the two groups(P0.05).Conclusion Efforts to achieve vaginal delivery in the setting of active phase arrest may reduce the maternal risks associated with cesarean delivery without additional risk to the neonate.