Traditional WHO Partograph and Korle-Bu Modified WHO Partograph for Uncomplicated Labour

Brief Background: The partograph is a graphical representation of the events in the first stage of labour. It is an instrument used in monitoring the well being of both the pregnant woman and her fetus (es) as they go through the first stage of labour. Most studies found the completion of a partograph in a client\'s record as the exception rather than the norm. Even at urban maternity wards as low as 5% completion rates of partograph have been recorded and in more than 60% of deliveries the partographs were completed after the deliveries, indicating it was being utilized only as a record-keeping procedure, not as a monitoring tool. The correct and effective use of the partograph is in itself labour intensive even with the requisite skills, making it unfriendly to use in situations where the delivery rates are high with few skilled attendants General Aim: To determine whether the use of a Korle-Bu modified WHO partograph will result in similar or improved patronization and leading to consistent monitoring of first stage labour and better outcomes compared to the traditional WHO partograph. Methods: This will be a randomized study of women presenting in labour with uncomplicated pregnancies to the Korle-Bu Teaching and La General hospitals in Accra. 500 labouring women will be monitored with the traditional WHO partograph in one arm and 500 labouring women will be monitored with the Korle-Bu modified WHO partograph. Computer generated cluster randomization with concealment will be used in patient selection and same research assistants ( Residents and Nurses) will be trained to stick to patient specific protocols for labout monitoring. Variables to be collected besides sociodemographic and obstetric data will include duration of labour, any interventions and neonatal and maternal outcome. Expected outcome (Expected results/what you hope to achieve from the study): It is expected that the Korlebu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) modified WHO partograph will be more user friendly, making it easier for service providers to use as a labor management tool than the traditional WHO partograph as intended, to reduce perinatal complication.