The Effect of Intramuscular Administration of Atropine and Hyoscine Combination on Labor Progress and Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes in Primigravid Women

Background: Previous studies reported that neonatal and maternal complications as well as duration of labor could be diminished through labor management. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effect of intramuscular (IM) administration of atropine and hyoscine combination on labor progress and maternal and neonatal outcomes in primigravid women admitted to Taleghani Hospital of Arak, Iran. Methods: In this double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 216 primigravid women were randomly allocated to four groups (54 cases in each group) as follows: atropine group received 0.01-0.5 mg (1cc) of IM atropine; hyoscine group received 20 mg of IM hyoscine in a single dose; atropine and hyoscine combination group received 0.01-0.5 mg of atropine and 20 mg of IM hyoscine in a single dose; and control group only received IM injection of 1cc distilled water in a single dose. Thereafter, Bishop score, duration of the active phase and the second stage of labor, type of delivery, and Apgar scores at one and five minutes were recorded. Chi-square/Fisher’s exact tests and One-way ANOVA were run, using SPSS version 20. Results: The Bishop scores were significantly higher in the atropine and hyoscine groups, compared to the other groups (P<0.05). Duration of the active phase in the atropine and hyoscine combination group was significantly shorter than the other groups (P=0.001). However, there was not a significant difference between the four groups in terms of duration of the second stage and Apgar scores at one and five minutes (P>0.05). Conclusion: The atropine and hyoscine combination reduced the duration of active phase in the primigravid women without serious maternal or neonatal adverse effects.