Relationship between duration of second stage of labour and postpartum anaemia

Publication date: October 2018

Source: Women and Birth, Volume 31, Issue 5

Author(s): Nuria Infante-Torres, Milagros Molina-Alarcón, Ana Rubio-Álvarez, Julián Rodríguez-Almagro, Antonio Hernández-Martínez

Abstract

Aim

To assess the relationship between the duration of the second stage of labour and postpartum anaemia during vaginal birth.

Methods

An observational, analytical retrospective cohort study was performed at the "Mancha-Centro Hospital" (Spain) during the 2013–2016 period. Data were collected from 3437 women who had a vaginal birth. Postpartum anaemia was defined as a haemoglobin level below 11 g/dL at 24 h postpartum. A univariate analysis was used for potential risk factors and a multivariate analysis with binary logistic regression to control for possible confounding factors.

Findings

The incidence of postpartum anaemia was 42.0%. The risk of postpartum anaemia did not increase in nulliparous women whose duration of the second stage of labour exceeded 4 h. Compared with multiparous women who delivered between 0 and 3 h, multiparous women with a duration of the second stage of labour beyond 3 h were at higher risk of postpartum anaemia (OR = 2.43 [1.30–4.52]).

Conclusion

The duration of the second stage of labour beyond 4 h is safe for postpartum anaemia in nulliparous women. However in multiparous women, monitoring should increase if the second stage of labour exceeds 3 h given the increased risk of postpartum anaemia.

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