Azha Syahril Azizan

and 6 more

Background Childbirth progress is much related to labour pain, whereby the progress can be predicted using suitable pain assessment tools. Objective To summarise methodology used for the assessment includes scales, questionnaires, tests, and other methods used to assess pain severity and childbirth progress in labouring women. Search strategy Elsevier® Scopus and MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, or MEDLARS Online accessed using PubMed®) were systematically searched in November 2021. Selection criteria Original research utilising pain assessment tools to assess pain severity and labour progress. Data collection and analysis Data on study characteristics, labour pain assessment tools, and labour evaluation are qualitatively synthesised. Main results There are various types of pain assessment tools that were identified. Nineteen (19) papers used the Visual Analogue Scale to measure the pain in labouring women, 14 studies used McGill Pain Questionnaire, and one (1) study used the questionnaire in the Danish version, while seven (7) papers used numerical rating scale in their studies to assess the labour pain in labouring women. For the progression of labour, ten (10) research papers assess the labour progress by examining cervical dilation and two (2) papers address the duration of labour as the measurement in their studies. Conclusions Many pains assessment tools are available to measure pain in labouring women. Most articles used the Visual Analogue Scale to assess childbirth pain with cervical dilatation to assess the labour progress. However, there is still limited information available in the literature about suitable pain assessment to predict labour progress.