Therapeutic Rest as an Intervention in Early Labor: A Literature Review.

Importance The latent phase of labor poses a challenge for pregnant patients due to the limited options available for pain relief and management. Therapeutic rest, an intervention involving medication administration during this phase, has shown promise in addressing prelabor discomfort and anxiety. Objective To emphasize the significance of therapeutic rest during early labor, describe methods of administering this intervention, review data on efficacy and maternal/fetal outcomes, and determine appropriate criteria and timing of utilization. Evidence Acquisition Articles were obtained from a thorough PubMed literature search; relevant articles were reviewed. Results Studies have shown that delaying admission to active labor benefits maternal and fetal outcomes. Pregnant patients admitted in the latent phase are at greater risk for obstetric interventions and have heightened emotional challenges. However, administering therapeutic rest during this phase has shown promising outcomes without significantly increasing the risks of adverse events. Randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic rest on subsequent admission rates for patients in active labor. Conclusions Therapeutic rest offers a favorable approach to managing pain and discomfort in early labor. Although there are criteria and contraindications, the interventions have shown effectiveness without substantial adverse effects, providing a potential outpatient management strategy for the latent phase of labor. Relevance This review offers insight into potential interventions and outcomes for managing the latent stage of labor in pregnant patients.