Cross-Legged sitting may improve epidural success in labor
NCT ID NCT04754282
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether sitting cross-legged (like on the floor) helps place an epidural catheter more successfully on the first try compared to the usual sitting position on the edge of the bed. Researchers studied 457 women in labor at one hospital in France. The goal is to see if this simple change reduces the number of needle sticks and improves comfort.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If the cross-legged position works better, it could make epidural placement faster, more comfortable, and less painful for women in labor.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, single-hospital study with no blinding, so results may not apply everywhere. The position may not suit all women or anesthesiologists.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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457 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Feb 2021
- Finished
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Mar 2022
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adult women admitted to the delivery room and requesting an epidural analgesia during labour * Written informed consent * French speaking patient Exclusion Criteria: * Patient with a contraindication to neuraxial analgesia * Impossibility for the patient to seat in a cross-legged position * No health insurance
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades
Paris, 75015, France
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