Developing a Method for the Prospective and Quantitative Evaluation of Labor Pains: Toward the safer assistance of women during labor

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In order to elucidate quantitatively the levels of the stress in pregnant women during labor, this study was undertaken. Women undergoing labor were divided into the normal labor group and the difficult labor group. Changes in the women's skins temperature(ST), the intensity subjective labor pain as rated on the visual analog scales(VAS) and the midwife's score of labor pain(MS) were analyzed. The women's skin temperature was measured by a computer-linked polygraph system including a fingertip pulse labor pain meter (which uses the fingertip's palmar side skin temperature as an indicator). Using this system changes in ST were displayed on the labor monitor device a real-time basis and uterine contraction curves were depicted. The data obtained in this study were analyzed using computer software.In the normal labor group, ST decreased by 0.2-0.4℃, synchronous with the cycle of labor pain. For both primipara and multipara, ST reached a peak during the first phase of labor. In the second phase, ST was lower in them multipara group than in the primipara group. In the difficult labor group, ST decreased by 0.4-0.7℃ and more time was taken for ST to recover. MS reached a peak during the second phase in both primipara and multipara. Primipara had a peak VAS during the first phase, while I multipara had it during the second phase of labor. The decrease in ST was in a mirror-surface like relationship to changes in VAS and MS. These results suggest that finger tip skin temperature sensitively reflects the labor pain, related stress of women undergoing labor, and this study will be useful in improving the labor care.