Background/Objective: Duration of labor varies from one pregnancy to
another and a period of less than 12 hours is regarded as normal.
Modern obstetric practice involves active management of labor with the
aim of preventing prolonged labor and its sequelae. The main objective
of this study was to determine and compare the average duration of
labor of spontaneous onset between nulliparas (Po) and multiparas (P
65 1) and to determine factors affecting duration of labor.
Materials and Methods: This study was a prospective study carried out
between 15 May and 14 June 2004 at the Labor Ward of the University of
Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria. Two hundred and thirty-eight
women who satisfied the inclusion criteria were studied. The inclusion
criteria were term pregnancy with vertex presentation, labor with
spontaneous onset, live fetus at presentation and spontaneous vertex
delivery. Results: The mean \ub1 SD admission-delivery interval in
labor ward was shorter (3.77 \ub1 2.88 hours) among multiparas than
that of nulliparas (5.00 \ub1 3.17 hours) (P = 0.235). The mean
\ub1 SD duration of labor (from the onset of labor to delivery) was
shorter among multiparas (8.73 \ub1 4.17 hours) than that of
nulliparas (11.23 \ub1 4.29 hours) (P = 0.426). The differences were
not significant (t-test, P > 0.05). Maternal age and individual
parity had significant correlation with the duration of labor in this
study (Pearson correlation = 120.019, 120.027, respectively,
P < 0.05). Conclusion: Interestingly, duration of labor was not
significantly different among multiparas and nulliparas although it was
shorter. Correlation existed between duration of labor and maternal age
and individual parity