The effect of hyoscine butyl bromide in shortening the duration of first stage of labor: A single-blind randomized control study

Background: Active management of labor reduces the number of prolonged labor and the duration of labor without having any adverse effects on the mother and the fetus. Intervention with drugs is among the options used for active management of labor. This includes use of analgesics, oxytocics, prostaglandins derivatives, and smooth muscle relaxants. The objectives of the study were to determine whether hyoscine N butyl bromide (HNBB) shortens the first stage of labor in term pregnancies, to compare the mean duration of labor between primigravidae and multigravidae in HBB group, to compare the maternal and fetal outcome between HBB and control group, and also to determine the side effects of HBB in parturients. Materials and Methods: The study was a single-blind randomized control study carried out in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) over 4-month period. A total of 204 pregnant women at term in spontaneous labor who presented in active phase of labor at UDUTH and have met the inclusion criteria were recruited and randomized into 102 women as case group and 102 women as control. The women in the case group received 40 mg (2 mls) of HBB, while those in the control group received 2 mls of normal saline. Data entry and analysis was done with IBM SPSS version 20. The duration and outcome was monitored. Results: The mean duration of labor in the first stage among the case group was 5:44 ± 2:11, while it was 6:52 ± 2:11 among the control group representing a decrease of 16.5%. This was statistically significant (P < 0.05). There was no difference in the duration of the second and third stages of labor among the two groups. There was no difference in the maternal and neonatal outcome among the two groups. Vomiting was the only maternal side effect that was statistically significant among the HBB group. Conclusion: HBB reduced the duration of first stage of labor in both primigravid and multigravid women without adverse maternal and neonatal complications. It is recommended that HBB to be given to women in active phase of labor to reduce the incidence of prolonged labor.