Study on Using Wearable Sensors to Monitor Movement and Walking with Low-Dose Epidural During Labor

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying the use of wearable inertial sensors to monitor movement and gait during the first stage of labor, focusing on pregnant women using low-dose epidural analgesia that allows walking. The study aims to better understand the biomechanical changes and gait characteristics affected by labor, pain, fetal progression, and epidural analgesia. This feasibility study explores how these sensors could help track analgesia effectiveness, predict fall risks, and analyze labor progression. Participants will be pregnant women in labor who receive walking epidural analgesia according to the current service protocol. They will be monitored continuously from the first stage of labor until delivery using wearable inertial sensors that capture triaxial velocity changes. The sensors provide real-time, non-invasive data on walking movements during labor. During the study, researchers will measure detailed gait changes starting from when participants request epidural analgesia until delivery. Data will include velocity changes over time captured by the sensors. Participants will be observed without intervention beyond normal care, allowing for assessment of movement patterns and potential safety concerns. The study will help validate this technology for future obstetrical monitoring.

Inertial Sensors for Obstetrical Walking Epidural Tracking