A nursing student has learned that precipitous labor is when the uterus contracts so frequently and with such intensity that a very rapid birth will take place. This means the labor will be completed in which span of time?

a) < 8 hoursb) < 4 hoursc) < 3 hoursd) < 5 hours

Answer is C, < 3 hours.

Explanation:

The precipitous labor is also referred to as the fast labor or delivery. It can be explained or described as the delivery of the baby in a period less than 3 hours, when the regular contraction is just starting or commencing.

The precipitous labor is accompanied by fewer contraction and less pain.

It should be understood that, as excellent as the precipitous labor might seemed, it also carry a lot of risks.

Such risks are, risk of cervical and vaginal tearing, injury to baby head and risk of infection to both the mother and the baby. This is because, precipitous labor occur for a very short period, the pregnant mother might not have reached the hospital at the time of delivery, which might prompt the delivery of the baby in an unsterilized environment. This will automatically exposed them to infections.