An assessment of radiotelemetry in the monitoring of labour.

Conventional and telemetric monitoring of labour were compared in a randomized study of 200 patients to assess the effect on the pattern of labour, outcome and attitude of the patients. All the telemetry patients had the option of mobility, but only 45% elected to get out of bed, and then often only for short periods. No clear physical benefits accrued from voluntary mobility. Ambulant patients who had spontaneous deliveries had a longer second stage and more of their babies were slow to establish regular respiration. Quantitative subjective assessments of pain, anxiety and comfort were made. Primigravidae with telemetric monitoring who chose to get out of bed had higher pain scores than primigravidae monitored conventionally, but anxiety scores were highest among primigravidae with telemetry who elected to stay in bed. There was a significant bias towards increased anxiety in the lower social classes. Primigravidae gained more reassurance from monitoring than did multigravidae, but there were no differences resulting from whether or not the recording apparatus was within the patients' view. Multigravidae who had experienced both forms of monitoring preferred telemetry because they felt less restricted and less anxious.