Complementary therapies in labor: randomized clinical trial

Nursing model of midwifery and postural and psychological interventions: Impact on maternal and fetal outcomes and negative emotions of primiparas

BACKGROUND

Primiparas are usually at high risk of experiencing perinatal depression, which may cause prolonged labor, increased blood loss, and intensified pain, affecting maternal and fetal outcomes. Therefore, interventions are necessary to improve maternal and fetal outcomes and alleviate primiparas' negative emotions (NEs).

AIM

To discusses the impact of nursing responsibility in midwifery and postural and psychological interventions on maternal and fetal outcomes as well as primiparas' NEs.

METHODS

As participants, 115 primiparas admitted to Quanzhou Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital between May 2020 and May 2022 were selected. Among them, 56 primiparas (control group, Con) were subjected to conventional midwifery and routine nursing. The remaining 59 (research group, Res) were subjected to the nursing model of midwifery and postural and psychological interventions. Both groups were comparatively analyzed from the perspectives of delivery mode (cesarean, natural, or forceps-assisted), maternal and fetal outcomes (uterine inertia, postpartum hemorrhage, placental abruption, neonatal pulmonary injury, and neonatal asphyxia), NEs (Hamilton Anxiety/Depression-rating Scale, HAMA/HAMD), labor duration, and nursing satisfaction.

RESULTS

The Res exhibited a markedly higher natural delivery rate and nursing satisfaction than the Con. Additionally, the Res indicated a lower incidence of adverse events (e.g., uterine inertia, postpartum hemorrhage, placental abruption, neonatal lung injury, and neonatal asphyxia) and shortened duration of various stages of labor. It also showed statistically lower post-interventional HAMA and HAMD scores than the Con and pre-interventional values.

CONCLUSION

The nursing model of midwifery and postural and psychological interventions increase the natural delivery rate and reduce the duration of each labor stage. These are also conducive to improving maternal and fetal outcomes and mitigating primiparas' NEs and thus deserve popularity in clinical practice.

Comparison of Efficacy and Safety of Different Doses of Dexmedetomidine for Epidural Labor Analgesia

Objective

To explore the efficacy and safety of different doses of dexmedetomidine (DEX) for epidural labor analgesia (ELA).

Methods

From June 2021 to June 2022, 147 parturients who underwent ELA in our hospital were selected and divided into low- (0.5 μg/kg DEX), medium- (0.75 μg/kg DEX), and high-dose (1.0 μg/kg DEX) groups (n = 49 for each) according to the random number table method. The analgesic effect was assessed using the Ramsay sedation score and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and the labor duration, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and heart rate (HR) before and after analgesia, vaginal bleeding within 2 h postpartum, and delivery outcomes (the cesarean section conversion rate and the neonatal Apgar score) were statistically analyzed. Furthermore, the incidence of adverse reactions was calculated, and maternal satisfaction with delivery was investigated.

Results

After analgesia, the the Ramsay and labor duration were higher in the high-dose group than those in the low- and medium-dose groups, and the VAS scores was lowerin the high-dose group than those in the low- and medium-dose groups(P < 0.05), while no difference was identified among the three groups in terms of the cesarean section conversion rate and the neonatal Apgar score (P > 0.05). The high-dose group had the greatest fluctuations in MAP and HR levels before and after analgesia than the other two groups, with a higher incidence of adverse reactions (P < 0.05). Finally, the survey of delivery satisfaction showed no significant difference in delivery satisfaction among the three groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

DEX has excellent performance in ELA, which can effectively relieve the pain of puerperae and shorten the labor process. Among them, low-dose DEX has higher safety and is recommended as the first choice. Trial Registrations. This trial is registered with ML2021073.

Effectiveness of Jacobson Relaxation and Lamaze Breathing Techniques in the Management of Pain and Stress During Labor: An Experimental Study

Background and objective The mother's ability to tolerate labor discomfort has an impact on how the labor progresses. Good pain management will boost mothers' ability to labor collaboratively and will shorten the time it takes for the uterus to open completely. Many women prefer not to use pharmaceutical or invasive pain relief during labor, which may have contributed to the popularity of complementary pain relief approaches. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the Jacobson relaxation technique and Lamaze breathing technique in the management of pain and stress during labor. Methods Thirty-six women aged between 25 and 35 years were randomly assigned to two groups for the purpose of this study. Group A received the Jacobson relaxation technique while Group B received the Lamaze breathing technique for four weeks. The patients were instructed to practice breathing techniques at the time of labor. The outcomes measure included the Numerical pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), which would be measured before and after the delivery. Results The subjects showed improved labor pain and anxiety following the physiotherapy intervention. The results were found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion Based on our findings, physiotherapy intervention plays an integral role in the multidisciplinary approach to relieving labor pain and helping patients have a normal vaginal delivery.

Transcutaneous Nerve Electrostimulation (TENS) in Pain Relief During Labor: A Scope Review

OBJECTIVE

 To map health evidence on the effectiveness of transcutaneous nerve electrostimulation (TENS) therapy in pain relief during delivery.

METHODS

 This is a scoping review in the PubMed, LILACS, Cochrane, VHL, PEDRO, and SciELO databases, through the descriptors electric stimulation, transcutaneous and labor, obstetric and their synonyms.

RESULTS

 A total of 263 studies were identified, of which 54 duplicates were excluded. After sorting by titles and abstracts, there were 24 articles for reading, remaining 6. The six studies evaluated the reduction of pain through the visual analogue scale (VAS).

CONCLUSION

 The findings indicate that the use of TENS as a nonpharmacological strategy for pain relief in labor has positive results.