The effect of intrapartum care model given in line with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations on labor pain, fear of labor, comfort of labor, duration of labor, administration of oxytocin and perception of midwifery care: a randomized controlled study

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of a WHO-aligned intrapartum care model on labor aspects, including pain, fear, comfort, labor duration, oxytocin use, and perceptions of supportive care. Methods: This is a randomized controlled study. The study was conducted with 124 primiparous pregnant women (intervention group n = 62, control group n = 62) who were admitted to the maternity unit of a hospital in Central Anatolia, Türkiye. The intervention group was subjected to the intrapartum care model, once cervical dilatation reached 5 cm. The control group received only standard intrapartum care in the hospital. Results: The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores for the pregnant women in the intervention group who received intrapartum care in accordance with WHO recommendations were significantly lower than those for the control group (p < 0.001). The pregnant women in the intervention group exhibited lower fear of labor scores and higher comfort of labor scores during the active phase than those in the control group (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the duration of the first, second, and third stages of labor was observed to be significantly shorter in the intervention group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Additionally, the use of oxytocin was found to be less prevalent in the intervention group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the mean scores of the scale measuring women’s perception of supportive care during labor were found to be significantly higher in the intervention group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: In alignment with these findings, it is recommended that midwives and obstetricians implement the intrapartum care model in accordance with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations. The implementation of this model aims to reduce labor pain, fear, and oxytocin use, enhance women’s perception of birth comfort and care, and transform the birth experience into a more positive one. Clinical trial registration: www.clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT06681675.