Introduction: There are strong temptation for admission of mothers in latent-phase in order to reduce mothers' pain and fear. Determining the exact time of laboring, measuring the length of laboring and the length of latent phase are troublesome, and this may be the reason of different encounters with latent-phase. This study was held by the aim of comparing the length of laboring in women admitted in Latent and Active Phase in Taleqani hospital of Tabriz.
Methods: This descriptive-comparative study was done on 500 pregnant women who were admitted for vaginal delivery at Taleqani hospital of Tabriz in 2011. The participants were randomly selected and divided into two groups of 250 persons. First group were admitted in latent-phase of labor (250 women) and second group were admitted in active-phase (250 women). Required data were collected based on observing labor process, interviewing mothers, and studying patient's records. Collecting data tools were Questionnaire of samples' characteristics, evaluation of 4 stages of labor and mothers' pre-discharge examination. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 13, t-test, chi-square, correlation, and regression-logistic tests. P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The mean of latent-phase length was 3.9±3.8 hours in the first group. The mean of active-phase length was 2.7±1.9 hours in second group which was shorter than latent-phase group (3.9±2.5 hours). This difference was statistically significant between the two groups (p<0.0001). While the length of second and third stages in latent-phase was more than in active-phase, there was no significant difference between the two groups. The length of postpartum hospitalization was statistically significant in two groups. (p=0.04).
Conclusion: The results showed that admission of women in Latent-phase is accompanied by increase length of Labor, length of postpartum hospitalization, other complications and interferences.