Issues in labor ultrasound / 中华围产医学杂志

Identification of the risk factors for conversion to cesarean section during labor can significantly improve the mother and infant outcomes. Though advocated by the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG), intrapartum ultrasound is not widely practiced in managing labor progress. The Obstetrics and Gynecology Center of Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University has carried out intrapartum ultrasound in recent years. We summarize the clinical key point and the significance of measuring the major sonographic parameters during labor and illustrate the role of occiput-spine angle, a new sonographic index, in predicting fetal head descent during the first stage of labor.