Rate of cervical dilatation and duration of active phase of labor among low-risk pregnant women delivering at Dodoma regional referral hospital

Background: Cervical dilation at the onset of the active phase of labor determines the rate of cervical dilatation and the duration of the active phase of labor. Identifying the abnormality toward the natural progress of the active phase of labor is important because timely intervention has been observed to be controversial among developing countries during the current practice among health care providers due to different opinion on the onset of the active phase. Thus, indication like poor progress of labor has been poorly explained in which it has become a common indication for a steady increased rate of primary cesarean section and increased new born morbidity due to birth asphyxia. Objective: This study aimed at determining the rate of cervical dilatation and duration of active phase of labor among low-risk pregnant women delivered at Dodoma Regional Referral Hospital. Methods: This is a hospital-based prospective cross-sectional study where systematic sampling method was employed in obtaining sample of 300 pregnant women. Local partograph and a semi structured questionnaire were used to record the information and findings. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. One sample t-test was used to determine and compare the rate and duration of active labor with the WHO standard rate. P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean rate of cervical dilatation during active phase for nulliparous was 0.81cm/hour and multiparous was 0.89cm/hour respectively, which is observed to be slower than standard WHO rates. The duration of the active phase of labor was 7.6 hours for nulliparous and 6.8 hours for multiparous. Conclusion: The rate of cervical dilatation was much slower hence the longer duration of active phase in both groups than the WHO standards.