Methods	Quasi-randomised trial.
Participants	103 women (48 ambulant (25 primigravidae); 55 recumbent (30 primigravidae)). Inclusion criteria - women in spontaneous labour with no risk factors
Interventions	Intervention group: ambulatory (n = 48). Women were informed about the possible benefits of ambulation and were encouraged to walk about during the first stage of labour Women who refused ambulation or who requested to return to bed were allowed to do so. Any woman who developed abnormalities of the fetal heart rate or fresh meconium staining of the amniotic fluid was returned to bed Women who requested or who were advised to have an epidural also returned to bed but those requiring oxytocin augmentation of labour carried their intravenous infusions with them. Comparison group: recumbent (n = 55).
Outcomes	Length of first stage. Type of delivery. Analgesia. Length of second stage. Apgar score.
Notes
Risk of bias
Item	Authors’ judgement	Description
Adequate sequence generation?	No	Described as ‘divided into two groups according to their hospital number’
Allocation concealment?	No	See above.
Blinding? Women	No	Not feasible.
Blinding? Clinical staff	No	Not feasible.
Blinding? Outcome assessor	Unclear	Not stated.
Incomplete outcome data addressed? All outcomes	Yes	No losses to follow up.

AEA: ambulatory epidural analgesia

ARM: artificial rupture of the membranes

CSE: combined spinal epidural

G: gauge

IOL: induction of labour

Mins: minutes

mU: mlli-units

NICU: neonatal intensive care unit