Anthropometric Measurements on Size and Labour Outcomes

Background: One of the most critical factors in the progression of labour is the compatibility between the fetal head and the maternal pelvis. Therefore, the assessment of the pelvis during childbirth is of great importance.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate women's physical body measurements in relation to externally measurable pelvic dimensions, to examine the relationship between them, and to determine their impact on pain levels during labour, the duration of labour, and the mode of delivery.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2022 and June 2023 in the labour ward of a maternity hospital in Istanbul, involving 153 pregnant women. The sample was evenly divided into three groups, with 51 participants in each, and pelvic measurement assessments were recorded accordingly. In the first group, participants' physical body measurements were evaluated alongside pelvic dimensions measured via vaginal examination. In the second group, physical measurements were assessed together with external pelvic measurements. In the third group, physical body measurements were evaluated in conjunction with pelvic assessments obtained through transvaginal ultrasonographic measurements. The results obtained from the three groups were compared with one another. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and direct measurements performed by the researchers using the following instruments: a descriptive information form, physical examination measurement form, transvaginal ultrasonography measurement form, labour assessment form, postpartum and neonatal evaluation form, visual analogue scale for pain, external pelvic measurement form, and vaginal pelvic examination form.

Keywords: Physical Body Measurements, External Pelvic Measurements, Labour Pain, Duration of Labour, Mode of Delivery, Midwife

Inclusion criteria

• Primiparous,
• The onset of labour,
• Being between 37-42 weeks of gestation,
• To be able to speak and understand Turkish,
• 18 years of age or older,
• No history of a disease affecting bone anatomy

Exclusion criteria

• Risky pregnancies,
• Planned caesarean sections
• Multiparous pregnant women
• History of pelvic trauma, disease, previous pelvic surgeries.