4.4 Future Research
Currently, a large evidence gap exists regarding the administration of IV fluids during labour and their effects on maternal and neonatal outcomes. Reporting of common practices for IV fluids administration in labour is limited. Addressing this knowledge gap is important for designing future prospective studies that accurately reflect interventions used in clinical practice. Whilst RCTs may be helpful in exploring maternal and neonatal outcomes, without knowing what ‘usual practice’ is, the tested interventions may not reflect current practice, limiting any knowledge gain.
Inadequate documentation of maternal fluid balance is a key barrier to rigorous prospective research in this area due to the imprecise recording of the exposure variable. Considering the potential impact of IV fluids on labour, including disruptions to electrolyte balance and uterine contractility, events such as IV fluid boluses and interruptions in IV infusion may hold considerable importance. Adopting practices that enhance the documentation of maternal fluid balance, such as integrating implementation science methods and frameworks to support health service engagement, identify workflow logistics and promote behaviour change,(34-36) could prove advantageous in future research .