[Active management of labor].

The active management of labour in the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin has the general aim that labour will not last longer than 12 hours. Since the outstanding cause of dystocia is inefficient uterine action the proper use of oxytocin has a position of great importance, especially in primigravidae. In 1984 under this procedure perinatal mortality was 12/1000 and the rate of caesarean sections 4.2 per cent. Total births--7853.