Partograph

What it is

The partograph is the chart on which labour is followed. At the top it carries the name, gravida, para and hospital no, the date of admission and time of admission, and whether the membranes are ruptured and for how many hours.

What is recorded down the chart is:

• Fetal heart rate, from 100 up to 180
• Liquor
• Moulding
• Cervix in cm, Plot X
• Descent of head, Plot O

The cervix and descent are read against 0 to 10, and the time runs in hours from 1 to 24. The chart is divided into the latent phase and the active phase, with an alert and an action line.