The Norwegian World Health Organisation Labour Care Guide Trial (NORWEL)

Appropriate and timely care during birth is critical to the survival and health of women and their babies. In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) presented the Labour Care Guide (LCG) as the new recommended tool for monitoring birth and assessing progression, replacing the WHO partograph. This evidence-based guide was designed to ensure improved quality and safety of care, and to avoid unnecessary interventions during birth. The LCG was developed to be used in all settings globally, but it has only been tested in health facilities in South America, Asia and Africa, while it has not been tested in high-income settings. Implementing a new guideline for monitoring birth is a comprehensive operation that will affect both the national economy, health systems, and individual patients; therefore, further research on the possible advantages is needed before national enrolment. Hence, the trial proposed in this application is crucial to form the required foundation of knowledge. The trial will be conducted in labour wards at ten hospitals, covering all health regions in Norway, and the established Norwegian Research Network for Clinical Studies in Obstetrics (NORBIRTH), with dedicated local principal investigators, will provide a robust research environment. This trial will test the effect of the LCG. Results from this trial will provide knowledge needed to determine a future implementation of the LCG in Norway.

NCT Number	NCT05791630
Lead Sponsor	Ostfold Hospital Trust
Conditions	Labor Dystocia, Labor Complication, Labor Onset and Length Abnormalities, Labor (Obstetrics)--Complications, Experience, Life, Progression, Cesarean Section Complications, Apgar; 4-7 at 1 Minute
Enrollment	23,650 participants
Start Date	2025-04-01
Primary Completion	2026-12-31 (estimated)
Study Completion	2030-12-31 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-04-04