21 Nov 08

The computer programme has been developed to help minimise human error in the management of labour.

The effectiveness of a new computer programme designed to support the management of higher risk labour is to be assessed in a clinical trial led by the University of Oxford. The £5.9m trial has been commissioned by the National institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme.

The computer programme has been developed to help minimise human error in the management of labour. The system analyses the fetal heart rate and compares this to other information it collects about the labour, such as cervical dilation and the presence of amniotic fluid. The system then provides the clinician with interpretations and recommendations about care.

Researchers, led by Professor Peter Brocklehurst at the University of Oxford, will test whether the computer programme is effective at improving the care given by midwives and doctors in response to abnormalities in the baby’s heart rate, and whether this will lead to fewer complications during birth.

The research team are looking to recruit around 46,000 women who are having continuous monitoring of their babies heart rate in labour, at 10 hospitals throughout the UK, over a period of six years. The study will not recruit women who do not require continuous monitoring of their babies’ heart rate during labour.

‘Monitoring a baby’s heart rate during labour as a means to determine whether they are lacking oxygen is a complicated process as some patterns can be the baby’s normal response to the stress of labour. Expertise and experience are essential for accurate interpretation and so mistakes can happen,’ says Professor Brocklehurst of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Oxford University.

‘It is vital this research is carried out as this system could provide doctors and midwives with effective support during the management of labour, potentially leading to fewer deaths and reducing the chances of brain damage.'