SynthesisBMC pregnancy and childbirth2016
Diagnosing onset of labor: a systematic review of definitions in the research literature.
Synthesis in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 53 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
53 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 192 citations in OpenAlex.
- Definitions of failed induction of labor in the literature: a systematic review.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Pooled it
- Heterogeneity in defining multiple trauma: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.Critical care (London, England) · 2023Pooled it
- Duration of spontaneous labour in 'low-risk' women with 'normal' perinatal outcomes: A systematic review.European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology · 2018Pooled it
- Human labour is associated with altered regulatory T cell function and maternal immune activation.Clinical and experimental immunology · 2020Trial
- Induction of labor compared to expectant management in term nulliparas with a latent phase of labor of more than 8 hours: a randomized trial.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2019Trial
- Equity and Inclusion: A Review of NHS and HSC Online Information for Women in the Early Phase of Labour.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The Impact of Lunar Phases During Day and Night Cycles on Perinatal Outcomes: A Nationwide Cohort Study.Birth (Berkeley, Calif.) · 2026Article
- Resources and challenges for midwives supporting women in the latent phase of labor: A qualitative study from Germany.European journal of midwifery · 2026Article
- Nipple stimulation for labour augmentation: evidence from randomised and quasi-experimental studies.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Review
- The Impact of Maternal Obesity on the Duration of Labor Stages in Dinoprostone-Induced Vaginal Delivery.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Women and birth partners' experiences of cervical ripening at home and in hospital.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Article
- Investigating the role of maternal heart rate variability in the onset of labor.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
- Development and preliminary validation of the GebStart-tool for advising nulliparous women in early labour.PloS one · 2025Article
- The application of a tool for supporting shared decision making in primiparous women during early labour - a descriptive survey of obstetric health care professionals' opinion.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- Commentary on the Adaptive Significance of Sociality Around Parturition Events, and Conspecific Support of Parturient Females in Some Social Mammals.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2024Article
- Deep learning model using continuous skin temperature data predicts labor onset.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Article
- Dystocia, Delivery, and Artificial Intelligence in Labor Management: Perspectives and Future Directions.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Evaluation of extravascular lung water and cardiac function in normal vaginal delivery by intrapartum bedside ultrasound.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Observational
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe diagnosis of labor onset has been described as one of the most important judgments in maternity care. There is compelling evidence that the duration of both latent and active phase labor are clinically important and require consistent approaches to measurement. In order to measure the duration of labor phases systematically, we need standard definitions of their onset. We reviewed the literature to examine definitions of labor onset and the evidentiary basis provided for these definitions.
methodsFive electronic databases were searched using predefined search terms. We included English, French and German language studies published between January 1978 and March 2014 defining the onset of latent labor and/or active labor in a population of healthy women with term births. Studies focusing exclusively on induced labor were excluded.
resultsWe included 62 studies. Four 'types' of labor onset were defined: latent phase, active phase, first stage and unspecified. Labor onset was most commonly defined through the presence of regular painful contractions (71% of studies) and/or some measure of cervical dilatation (68% of studies). However, there was considerable discrepancy about what constituted onset of labor even within 'type' of labor onset. The majority of studies did not provide evidentiary support for their choice of definition of labor onset.
conclusionsThere is little consensus regarding definitions of labor onset in the research literature. In order to avoid misdiagnosis of the onset of labor and identify departures from normal labor trajectories, a consistent and measurable definition of labor onset for each phase and stage is essential. In choosing standard definitions, the consequences of their use on rates of maternal and fetal morbidity must also be examined.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.