Study challenges best way to position women during childbirth
Tuesday, January 20, 2015 - 14:31
in Health & Medicine
New research is challenging what many obstetricians and physician anesthesiologists believe is the best way to position women during labor. According to a study, the traditional practice of positioning women on their side, with hips tilted at 15 degrees, during labor does not effectively reduce compression of the inferior vena cava, a large vein located near the abdominal area that returns blood to the heart, as previously thought. In fact, not until the degree of tilt reached 30 degrees did blood flow only partially increase in patients, the study found.