ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIMS

This study aimed to determine the effect of three different positions of delivery on the postpartum bleeding, perineum status, and some birth outcomes.

MATERIALS and METHODS

This clinical trial study was performed on 96 primiparous pregnant women who had voluntarily entered the trial and were randomly assigned to one of the following three groups: lithotomy, sitting, and squatting group in the second stage of labor. Bleeding during the first hour after delivery, postpartum status of the perineum, as well as type and degree of tear were measured. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 17 (SPSS Inc.; Chicago, IL, USA).

RESULTS and CONCLUSION

The mean volume of bleeding in the lithotomy group was significantly lower than those in the other two groups (p=0.016), and there was no significant difference between the sitting and squatting groups. There was no significant difference among the three groups in terms of the perineal status (tear and episiotomy), the height of the uterus, and the neonatal mean Apgar mean scores at 1 and 5 minutes (p>0.05). The use of different delivery positions based on the status of the mother can have different effects on the mother and infant outcomes; further studies are warranted on this subject.