Labor & Delivery
Supporting the Comfort and Safety of New Mothers and Caregivers
In the United States, more than 90% of women give birth in hospitals.1,2 Cesarean sections account for around 30% of all births. Epidural anesthesia is utilized by approximately 70% of laboring mothers.3
The Labor and Delivery team has the incredible responsibility and privilege of caring for and supporting women as they bring new life into the world. Safe patient handling tools are essential to ensure the safety and comfort of new mothers as well as healthcare providers. By integrating safe patient handling tools into labor and delivery care, healthcare facilities can improve outcomes while maintaining a high standard of care for patients and the healthcare team.
- Care of the Patient with Spinal Anesthesia – Tools such as air-assisted devices and lateral turning aids facilitate repositioning, particularly for those with limited mobility or who have received epidural anesthesia. These devices help reduce the risk of injuries for healthcare professionals by minimizing the physical effort required to move patients. Additionally, they provide a safer method for gynecological procedures including but not limited to Episiotomy, Artificial Rupture of Membranes, Intrauterine Pressure Catheter Placement, External and Internal Heart Rate Monitoring, and Forceps or Vacuum Assisted Deliveries.
- Operating Room – In the operating room, safe patient handling tools are invaluable for moving patients to and from the OR suite or table. These devices can be used throughout a patient’s stay, providing consistent support from the labor and delivery room to the postpartum period. For new mothers, these tools offer a more comfortable and secure means of repositioning post-birth, promoting quicker recovery and reducing the risk of injury.
- In Unit Transfers – Whether it’s transferring a patient to the labor room, the OR suite, or simply moving from bed to chair, air-assisted and non-air-assisted products significantly enhance comfort, particularly for post-operative mothers.
Future Implications on Labor and Delivery
Labor and delivery units are expected to remain busy in the coming years as birth rates rise. Looking ahead, we anticipate advancements in technology, such as wireless, cordless, non-invasive fetal monitoring. Additionally, there may be a shift towards home-based or outpatient labor and delivery care, moving away from the traditional in-hospital delivery model.
1.Martin, J. A., Hamilton, B. E., Osterman, M. J. K., Driscoll, A. K., & Drake, P. (2021). Births: Final Data for 2020. National Vital Statistics Reports, 70(17). National Center for Health Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-17.pdf
2.National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2020). The preterm birth rate in the United States and globally. In Preterm birth: Causes, consequences, and prevention. National Institutes of Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555484/#:~:text=In%20the%20United%20States%2C%20the,2019;%20see%20Chapter%201)
3.Yale Medicine. (2020). Epidural anesthesia: What you need to know. https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/epidural-anesthesia#:~:text=Used%20by%20an%20estimated%2070,for%20pain%20relief%20during%20labor
