Prolonged Second Stage of Labor in Thai Women: A Retrospective Cohort Study

The second stage of labor in Thai women is markedly shorter than that reported in Western populations. The definition of a prolonged second stage should be tailored to specific ethnic populations, and the current ACOG/SMFM criteria may not be appropriate for Thai women. Among the Thai population, cut-off values of 80 minutes for nulliparous women and 60 minutes for multiparous women may be appropriate for defining a prolonged second stage. A prolonged second stage markedly increased the rates of cesarean section rate, operative vaginal delivery, low Apgar scores and postpartum hemorrhage. However, the overall cesarean rate during the second stage remained very low in Thai women.