Oxford researchers unveil tool to flag birth complications at labour onset

Oxford University scientists have created Fit4Labour, a risk-assessment tool that merges early cardiotocography readings with key maternal data to forecast severe childbirth complications. In a study published in The Lancet Digital Health, the model was trained on over 145,000 births from hospitals in Oxford, Cambridge and four Swedish centres, all monitored before advanced labour stages. Results show that pregnancies flagged as highest risk were between 2.5 and eight times more likely to experience adverse outcomes or require emergency Caesarean delivery, with risk scores becoming available on average more than eight hours before birth.

Midwives and obstetricians input the CTG trace, mother’s age, gestational age, parity and health conditions such as diabetes or pre-eclampsia to generate the estimate. The tool has already been trialled with 90 women at two hospitals, and a spin-out company, Safer Birth, is working with the NHS to expand its use.