Room4Birth – The effect of giving birth in a hospital birthing room designed with person-centred considerations: A Swedish randomised controlled trial
Journal article, 2022

Objective: To evaluate if a birthing room designed with person-centred considerations improves labour and birth outcomes for nulliparous women when compared to regular birthing rooms. Methods: A randomised controlled trial was conducted at a Swedish labour ward between January 2019 and October 2020. Nulliparous women in spontaneous labour were randomised either to a birthing room designed with person-centred considerations (New room) or a Regular room. The primary outcome was a composite of four variables: vaginal non-instrumental birth; no oxytocin augmentation; postpartum blood loss < 1000 ml; and a positive childbirth experience. To detect a difference of 8% between the groups, 1274 study participants were needed, but the trial was terminated early due to consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. Results: A total of 406 women were randomised; 204 to the New room and 202 to the Regular room. There was no significant difference in the primary outcome between the groups (42.2% versus 35.1%; odds ratio: 1.35, 95% Confidence Interval 0.90–2.01; p = 0.18). Participants in the New room used epidural analgesia to a lower extent (54.4% versus 65.3%, relative risk: 0.83, 95% Confidence Interval 0.71–0.98; p = 0.03) and reported to a higher degree that the room contributed to a sense of safety, control, and integrity (p=<0.001). Conclusions: The hypothesis that the New room would improve the primary outcome could not be verified. Considering the early discontinuation of the study, results should be interpreted with caution. Nevertheless, analyses of our secondary outcomes emphasise the experiential value of the built birth environment in improving care for labouring women.

Randomised controlled trial

Birth environment

Birth room design

Childbirth

Nulliparous

Author

Lisa Goldkuhl

University of Gothenburg

Sahlgrenska University Hospital

Hanna Gyllensten

University of Gothenburg

Cecily Begley

Trinity College Dublin

Helle Wijk

Sahlgrenska University Hospital

Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Building Design

University of Gothenburg

Christina Nilsson

Munkebäck Antenatal Clinic

Göran Lindahl

Chalmers, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Building Design

Anna Karin Ringqvist

Sahlgrenska University Hospital

Kerstin Uvnäs Moberg

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)

Marie Berg

University of Gothenburg

Evangelical University of Africa

Sahlgrenska University Hospital

Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare

1877-5756 (ISSN) 18775764 (eISSN)

Vol. 32 100731

Subject Categories

General Practice

Nursing

Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology

Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine

DOI

10.1016/j.srhc.2022.100731

PubMed

35500476

More information

Latest update

8/25/2023