Lactate measurement improves treatment during labour

Labour dystocia, or the failure of the uterus to contract properly during labour, is a serious problem in obstetrics. A new study from Karolinska Institutet demonstrates a simple method that can make it easier for doctors to assess and treat the condition. The study is published in the journal PLOS ONE and was part-financed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Labour dystocia causes the woman to undergo painful but ineffective labour, and while her contractions come regularly there is no dilation of the cervix and the baby does not push through the birth canal. All kinds of muscular fatigue produce lactic acid, and this includes the uterine musculature. The main cause of lactic acid production is anoxia (oxygen starvation), which in labour dystocia can stretch over long periods of time, leading to the accumulation of lactate. In Sweden alone, some 20,000 women are diagnosed every year with labour dystocia, which results in arrested labour.