The effect of cervical Hyoscine on the first and second stages of labor duration of nulliparous women: A single-blind clinical trial

Background: Previous studies have investigated the effect of various pharmacological forms of hyoscine to reduce the duration of labor. However, no study has been performed to investigate the effect of cervical hyoscine on the length of the first and second stages of labor. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cervical hyoscine on the duration of the first and second stages of labor in nulliparous women referred to Nik Nafs maternity hospital in Rafsanjan in 2021. Methods: In this single-blind clinical trial, a population of 120 women who had cervical dilatation of at least 4 cm and regular uterine contractions entered the study and randomly assigned to intervention (n=60) and control (n=60) group. The intervention group received 1 ml of hyoscine (equivalent to 20 mg) single dose and the control group received 1 ml of single-dose distilled water with needleless syringes cervically. All the required information including dilatation at the time of injection, length of the first and second and third stages of labor, Apgar score of one and five minutes and the amount of postpartum hemorrhage were accurately recorded in the checklist. Data were analyzed using Independent two-sample t-test, Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test and Two-way repeated measures ANOVA. Results: In the intervention group, 9 women (0.15%) and in the control group 17 women (28.3%) delivered by cesarean section. The mean duration of the first, second and third stages of labor (minutes) were not significantly different in the two groups (p <0.05). Also, there was not statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of abnormal postpartum hemorrhage and neonatal Apgar scores. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that cervical administration of hyoscine for facilitating vaginal delivery may reduce the cesarean section rate without maternal or fetal side effects. Further studies are recommended. Trial registration: This clinical trial was registered in the IRCT system with the code IRCT20181219042051N3.