OBJECTIVES: to determine the prevalence of obstetric factors associated with vaginal birth posi tion (VBP)-vertical or horizontal; to investigate correlations between VBP and obstetric factors and neonatal characteristics. METHODS: a cross-sectional study was carried out. The sample comprised 176 primiparous women who had given birth vaginally, between july 2006 and february 2007. The correlation was investigated between VBP and the following obstetric variables: occurrence and severity of spontaneous perineal lacerations, episiotomy, perineal suture, the use of oxytocin and surgical instruments. The newborns were characterized according to gestational age, weight, height, head circumference and one-and five-minute Apgar. The chi-squared test was used to inves tigate the correlation between VBP and obstetric vari ables and Student's t-test to investigate differences in neonatal characteristics according to VBP. RESULTS: no association was found between VBP and perineal suture, perineal laceration, the use of oxytocin, episiotomy or the use of surgical instru ments (forceps or vacuum-extractor). There was a correlation between VBP and episiotomy and a greater prevalence of episiotomy for the horizontal position. VBP had no influence on the characteristics of the newborn. CONCLUSIONS: episiotomy was more prevalent in cases of horizontal birth position, although both birth positions are satisfactory as far as the newborn is concerned.
Natural childbirth; Humanizing delivery
