Purple line, a non-invasive method for labour progress assessment: Study

Greece: The purple line, a visual indicator that appears on a labouring woman's buttocks, has been proposed as a non-invasive method for labour progress assessment, according to a recent study published in the European Journal Of Obstetrics & Gynaecology And Reproductive Biology. 

The systematic review and meta-analysis of studies exploring the purple line's association with cervical dilatation during active labour have revealed promising findings published by Dimitrios Papoutsis and colleagues. 

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the length of the purple line and cervical dilatation during active labour. Secondary objectives included assessing the connection between the purple line's length and fetal head descent, as well as calculating the mean length of the purple line at cervical dilatations of 3-4 cm and 9-10 cm.

Researchers conducted a thorough search of databases such as Medline, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Clinical Trials.gov, and Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth's Trials Register, spanning from inception to March 25, 2023.

● Six eligible studies involving a total of 982 women, with the purple line observed in 760 cases (77.3%), were included in the systematic review.

● The findings demonstrated a moderate positive correlation between the purple line's length and cervical dilatation (r = +0.64; 95%CI: 0.41–0.87) as well as fetal head descent (r = +0.50; 95%CI: 0.32–0.68).

● Moreover, the pooled mean length of the purple line exceeded 9.4 cm at a cervical dilatation of 9-10 cm and exceeded 7.3 cm at a dilatation of 3-4 cm for women in both spontaneous and induced labour.

These results suggest that the purple line could serve as a valuable adjunct for assessing labour progress in a non-invasive manner. The purple line's length appears to be closely associated with cervical dilatation and fetal head descent, offering healthcare professionals a visual clue to monitor labour's advancement.

While further research and validation are needed, this innovative approach holds promise for enhancing labour assessment, potentially leading to improved maternal and fetal care during childbirth.

Reference:

Papoutsis, D., Antonakou, A., Gornall, A., & Tzavara, C. (2023). The purple line and its association with cervical dilatation in labour: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, 289, 91–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2023.08.383