Maternity Nursing: Intrapartum Q 38
Labor is a series of events affected by the coordination of the five essential factors. One of these is the passenger (fetus). Which are the other four factors?
A. Contractions, passageway, placental position and function, pattern of care.
B. Contractions, maternal response, placental position, psychological response.
C. Passageway, contractions, placental position, and function, psychological response.
D. Passageway, placental position, and function, paternal response, psychological response.
Correct Answer: C. Passageway, contractions, placental position and function, psychological response.
The five essential factors (5 P’s) are passenger (fetus), passageway (pelvis), powers (contractions), placental position and function, and psyche (psychological response of the mother).
Option A: The passage is defined as the bony boundaries of the pelvis. The shape of the pelvis determines how easily the baby can pass through. The most common pelvic shaped bone for a woman is called a gynecoid pelvis. This shaped pelvis is easiest for a baby to pass through.
Option B: The power factor in labor refers to the ability of the uterine muscle to contract. The uterus is an involuntary muscle. It has to not only start contracting, but it must establish a pattern of contractions. Every time the uterus contracts it pushes the baby towards the cervix. This is really what labor is all about. The contractions cause the cervix to stretch open and allow the baby into the birth canal.
Option D: Position refers to not only the position of the baby but also the position of the mother. The old adage that what is up must come down also refers to babies. When a mother is in an upright position this contributes to abdominal wall relaxation. This helps the fundus (the upper portion of the uterus) to go forward due to the force of gravity, which then leads to the straightening of the birth canal and widening of the pelvic outlet. All of which helps a baby to be born.