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Abstract
The duration of labor in multigravid subjects in phase 1 labor at term (from 3 to
6 cm of cervical dilatation; mean duration = 2.7 hours) was significantly related
to measures of plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine obtained at the onset of the
phase (n = 50). Epinephrine was significantly related to observer ratings of subject
stress and the scores from the three dimensions of our self-report Labor Anxiety Inventory.
The fetal heart rate pattern in phase 2 labor (7 to 10 cm of cervical dilatation;
mean duration = 1.2 hours) was significantly related to phase 1 measures of epinephrine,
observed stress, and two of the anxiety dimensions (n = 44 to 47). The results provide
support for the hypotheses that, under normal clinical conditions, several types of
patient anxiety are related to catecholamine levels and that anxiety and epinephrine
are related to duration of labor and fetal well-being. The results suggest that medical/nursing
evaluation and management of patient anxiety should include a self-report measure
of three dimensions of anxiety (coping, safety, and pain), which are relatively independent
of observed physical stress and which may relate to maternal labor progress as well
as fetal heart rate pattern.
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References
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
September 23,
1985
Received in revised form:
June 10,
1985
Received:
September 18,
1984
Footnotes
☆Supported by Grant 7 RO1 NU 00931 from the Division of Nursing, Health Resources Administration, United States Public Health Service.
Identification
Copyright
© 1985 Published by Elsevier Inc.
