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Inertial Sensors for Obstetrical Walking Epidural Tracking

NCT06471790 · Status: RECRUITING · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 30

Last updated 2026-01-20

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Freedom of movement and the ability to walk are crucial during the first stage of labor, potentially reducing labor duration, cesarean section risk, epidural analgesia use, and bladder catheterization. While the clinical effects of ambulation during labor remain controversial, there is a consensus on its positive impact on the birthing experience and satisfaction.

Epidural analgesia remains the gold standard for pain control during labor, with a utilization rate of 82% in France. Recent advancements in obstetric analgesia have allowed for lower doses of analgesics, often administered via patient-controlled analgesia, which maintains the potential for ambulation during labor. However, only a small number of maternity units in France offer this technique. The main barriers include organizational issues such as unsuitable facilities, lack of wireless telemetry, and potential risks such as falls and hypotension.

Significant changes in gait characteristics are observed throughout pregnancy, particularly during the third trimester, and are studied in laboratory settings using video capture and analysis. Gait during labor is influenced by pain, fetal progression, and anatomical changes in the pelvis. The presence of epidural analgesia, where local anesthetics likely affect neural transmission, may impact motor commands and sensory feedback, further altering gait characteristics. These biomechanical aspects of labor remain understudied.

Wearable inertial sensors show promise in maternal health monitoring by providing real-time data for motion and gait studies. However, their application has not been described or validated during labor, particularly in walking conditions. Continuous dynamic study of gait in these conditions could enable non-invasive, non-intrusive monitoring of analgesia effectiveness, fall risk prediction, and labor progression analysis.

The aim of this feasibility study is to validate the use of wearable inertial sensors to quantify movements and characterize gait during the first stage of labor, both with and without low-dose epidural analgesia.

Conditions

  • Pregnancy Related
  • Epidural; Anesthesia, Headache
  • Labor Complication

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Hospices Civils de Lyon

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Mikhail PH DZIADZKO, MD · Anesthésie Réanimation Douleur

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
40 Years
Sex
FEMALE
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2024-11-11
Primary Completion
2026-07-12
Completion
2026-07-12

Countries

  • France

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT06471790 on ClinicalTrials.gov