| Title | Maternal temperature during labour. | | Author(s) | Schouten F, Wolf H, Smit B, Bekedam D, de Vos R, Wahlen I | | Institution | Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. | | Source | BJOG 2008 Jun 2. | | Abstract | Objective The aim of this study was to describe the variation of normal maternal temperature during labour. Design A prospective cohort study. Setting Two hospitals in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Population All women with a live singleton pregnancy and a gestational age of 36 weeks or more admitted to the delivery ward from June 2000 to January 2002. Methods Maternal temperature was measured rectally every 2-3 hours from admission until the beginning of second stage, and 1-hour postpartum. Normal labour (n= 843) was defined as gestational age >/=37 weeks, spontaneous onset of labour, rupture of membranes <18 hours before birth, normal progress of labour without the need for augmentation or epidural analgesia and spontaneous vaginal delivery of a healthy infant. The remaining group was classified as abnormal (n= 2209). Main outcome measures Rectal measured temperature in degrees Celsius. Results The mean temperature during labour in the complete study population increased from 37.1 degrees C at the beginning of labour to 37.4 degrees C after 22 hours. Temperature in the abnormal labour group was equal to the normal labour group during the first 3 hours of labour (P > 0.05) but increased thereafter. Conclusions At the beginning of labour, temperature was 37.1 degrees C. Temperature increased slowly during labour and was 37.4 degrees C (2SD 1.2) after 22 hours. The upper 2SD limit for normal temperature did not follow a circadian pattern and time of day is not relevant for the classification of normal versus elevated temperature. | | Language | ENG | | Pub Type(s) | JOURNAL ARTICLE
| | PubMed ID | 18518872 |
|
