The effect of type and volume of fluid hydration on labor duration of nulliparous women: a randomized controlled trial

Purpose: Type and volume of fluid administered for intrapartum maintenance had been reported to differently affect labor length, delivery mode, and cord artery pH and glucose level. We aimed to compare the effect of three different fluid regimens on labor duration. Methods: In a randomized trial, healthy nulliparous in labor were randomized into one of three intravenous fluid regimens: group 1, the reference group, lactated Ringer’s solution infused at a rate of 125 mL/h; group 2, lactated Ringer’s solution infused at a rate of 250 mL/h; group 3, 0.9% saline solution boosted with 5% glucose, infused at a rate of 125 mL/h. The primary outcome was labor length from enrollment until delivery. Results: Between December 2010 and July 2015, 300 women were randomized to one of the three groups. Demographic and baseline obstetric characteristics were comparable between the groups. There was no significant difference in the time from enrollment to delivery (p = 0.62). Furthermore, there were no significant differences in second stage duration (p = 0.73), mode of delivery (p = 0.21), cord artery pH and glucose level between the groups. Conclusions: Increasing the intravenous volume of lactated Ringer’s solution or substituting to fluid containing 5% glucose solution does not affect labor length. Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01242293.