Evaluation of the Effect of Hyper-Osmolar Magnesium Sulfate Solution on Labor Prosses

Backgrounds: Magnesium sulfate is an anti-seizure medication that has many other uses in the midwifery, including the manufacture of osmotic dilators that are used to cervical ripening. Its main mechanism of action is to reduce the amount of intracellular calcium through its magnesium component. Also, due to hyper-osmolarity, this solution can also be effective in absorbing intercostal water and reducing edema. With these two mechanisms mentioned, it can be effective in improving effacement and dilatation of the cervix (10-15% of the cervix contain from smooth muscle). The present study was conducted to determine the effect of hyper-osmolar magnesium sulfate solution on labor prosses.Material and Method :64 nulliparous women with term pregnancy were examined in this clinical trial . Participants were evaluated in two groups of 32. In the intervention group, at the beginning of the active phase, 10 cc magnesium sulfate 50% and in the control group 10 cc distilled water was poured on the cervix and then the labor prosses was examined in two groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS software.Result: In the intervention group, the mean active phase duration was 1.13 ± 1.75 hours and in the control group was 1.87 ± 3.85, which was 2.10 hours longer than the magnesium sulfate group (p = 0.001). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the mean score of Apgar, delivery channel lacerations and other complications. The number of natural births was higher in the magnesium sulfate group, but this difference was not significant.Conclusion: The results of the study showed that the use of topical magnesium sulfate in the active phase improves effacement and dilatation and shortens duration of labor. Due to the limited studies in this field, further studies are recommended