The effect of haptonomy applied to pregnant women on perceived stress, fear of childbirth, and prenatal attachment: randomized controlled experimental study

Turkish validity and reliability of the Haptotherapeutic Well-Being Scale

OBJECTIVES

Haptotherapy fosters a sense of unity between the body, mind, and emotions. In addition, it contributes to expanding the woman's perception of her pregnancy and developing a more positive attitude towards pregnancy and childbirth. The study aims to examine the Turkish validity and reliability of the Haptotherapeutic Well-Being Scale, which will be used to evaluate the well-being levels of haptonomy and haptotherapy practices in women.

DESIGN

The study was methodological type.

METHODS

The study conducted between October 20 and December 20, 2023, with 242 women who volunteered to participate by sharing forum pages on social media (Facebook, Instagram) via the web. Data were collected using a personal information form, including sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics and the Haptotherapeutic Well-Being Scale.

RESULTS

The Haptotherapeutic Well-Being Scale consists of 14 items and five sub-dimensions. In confirmatory factor analysis, all path coefficients were statistically significant (p < 0.001). The overall Cronbach's Alpha and sub-dimension values of the scale are above 0.90. There is a positive and very strong correlation between all sub-dimensions of the scale (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The Haptotherapeutic Well-Being Scale was found to be valid and reliable for the Turkish sample.

TRIALS REGISTRATION

https://clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT06467188; registered June 14, 2024.

Investigating the impact of haptotherapy on maternal-fetal attachment in unplanned pregnancies

BACKGROUND

Mothers who experience unplanned pregnancies tend to show less maternal attachment to the fetus, which can lead to diminished self-care during pregnancy, and affect well-being of the fetus. Consequently, unintended pregnancies are associated with heightened maternal and fetal consequences due to mothers' negligence. Hippotherapy intervention has emerged as a viable approach to enhance maternal-fetal communication. The ultimate goal of this study was to broaden our current understanding of haptotherapy's impact on maternal-fetal attachment in unplanned pregnancies.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This field trial research was conducted at comprehensive health centers in Isfahan using convenient sampling method. The study consisted of two groups of mothers, each consisting of 33 individuals with unplanned pregnancies between 20 to 24 weeks. The experimental group received haptotherapy intervention for 10 weeks, while the control group received standard pregnancy care. For data collection the participants were given demographic and fertility questionnaire prior to the study, and Cranley's maternal-fetal attachment questionnaire both before and after the study. Moreover, T-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Chi-square test were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

Prior to the intervention, there was no significant difference in the average maternal-fetal attachment scores between the experimental and control groups (P = 0.56). However, a significant increase became apparent after the intervention. The experimental group exhibited a significant improvement in the mean attachment scores compared to their pre-intervention levels (t=-9.20, P = 0<0.001). In contrast, the control group's score remained unchanged, with no significant difference observed (=1.69, P = 0.1).

CONCLUSION

Haptotherapy has been found to enhance maternal-fetal attachment in mothers experiencing unplanned pregnancies. This valuable intervention is recommended as an innovative and secure approach in maternal health care services to help reduce the potential complications associated with such pregnancies.

The effect of cognitive-behavioral therapy and haptonomy on fear of childbirth in primigravida women: a randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Considering the role of fear of childbirth (FOC) in the enhancement of unnecessary cesarean sections (CS), the present study aimed at evaluating the effect of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and haptonomy on the FOC (as primary outcome) and intended birth method and final birth method (as secondary outcomes) among primigravida women.

METHODS

This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 99 primigravida women in Tabriz, Iran 2022. Participants were assigned to three groups with a ratio of 1:1:1 using stratified block randomization based on the fear intensity. One of the intervention groups (n = 33) received eight group sessions of CBT from 24 to 28 weeks of gestation and the other intervention group (n = 33) received haptonomy during seven sessions once a week. The control group (n = 33) received routine prenatal care. The Wijma questionnaire was completed by the participants before the intervention, after the intervention at 35-37 weeks of gestation, and after birth. The intended birth method was investigated before and after the intervention at 35-37 weeks of gestation. The final birth method and the reasons for CS were recorded based on the mother's medical profile. The one-way ANOVA was used before the intervention and RMANOVA after the intervention to compare the mean scores of FOC among the three groups. Further, chi-square test was applied to compare the intended and final birth method.

RESULTS

The mean (standard deviation: SD) of FOC in the CBT group changed from 74.09 (11.35) at 24-28 weeks of gestation to 46.50 (18.28) at 35-37 weeks and 48.78 (20.64) after birth (P < 0.001). The means (SDs) of FOC in the haptonomy group were 76.81 (13.09), 46.59 (15.81), and 45.09 (20.11), respectively (P < 0.001). The mean (SD) of FOC in the control group decreased from 70.31 (6.71) to 66.56 (18.92) and then, increased to 71.00 (21.14) after birth (P = 0.878). After the intervention, there was no statistically significant difference among the three groups in terms of the intended birth method (P = 0.278), and final birth method (P = 0.107).

CONCLUSION

The findings of the present study revealed that both CBT and haptonomy interventions reduce FOC. Although the desire for vaginal birth and final vaginal birth in the haptonomy group was more than that in the other two groups, there was no statistically significant difference among the three groups.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials: IRCT20170506033834N9. Date of registration: 02.01.2022. URL: http://en.irct.ir .