Abstract
Objective
To analyse the effects of warm shower, perineal exercises with a Swiss ball or both during the labour in maternal and perinatal parameters.
Methods
Randomised controlled trial with 101 low-risk birthing women admitted in two public midwife-led birth centres, between June, 2013 and February, 2014, with minimal age 18 years, full-term gestation, single live foetus in cephalic presentation, cervical dilation 3-8 cm, pain score ≥5, without clinical or obstetric pathologies or mental illness, non-users of psychoactive drugs or synthetic or natural corticosteroids and who had not used tobacco, caffeine and analgesics in the previous two, four and six hours before inclusion in the study, respectively. The non-pharmacological interventions were for 30 minutes performed. Maternal and perinatal parameters were assessed before and 30 minutes after the interventions, including: maternal blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, uterine contractions, cervical dilation, foetal heart rate, baseline, variability, accelerations and decelerations using cardiotocography and Apgar score (at the 1stand 5thminutes after birth); The participants were randomly assigned in group A warm shower (33), B Swiss ball (35) and C combined interventions (33).
Results
Concerning maternal parameters, systolic blood pressure was kept above 100 mmHg, with a little increase in the group B. Diastolic blood pressure decreased in all the groups, however was maintained above 70 mmHg. The heart rate decreased in the group B and C and was above 80 bpm. The respiratory rate was above 20 rpm in all groups after the interventions, while the cervical dilation before the interventions were in average 5.0 cm and increased 1.3 cm after the interventions in all groups. Concerning the foetal parameters, foetal heart rate was normal in more than 90% in all groups at both evaluation times, transient acceleration was present in more than 80% in all groups at both evaluation times and no decelerations were found before the intervention in approximately 58.4% of the cases. Decelerations were observed in 52.5% of the cases, mainly in the groups A and B. Variability was normal in more than 80% of the cases, and the Apgar score ˂7 at the first minute after birth was observed in 14 cases only. No significant differences were found in maternal blood pressure, pulse rate, foetal heart rate including the occurrence of transient accelerations, variability or decelerations and Apgar at the inter and intragroup analysis or by evaluation time. By comparing maternal parameters before and 30 minutes after the interventions, increased maternal respiratory rate (p=0.037) and cervical dilation (p<0.001) were found for the all intervention groups. At the intergroup analysis, group A (p=0.041) and group C (p=0.021) stimulated labour progression regarding the uterine contractions increased in comparison to the group B.
Conclusion
The interventions alone or in combination are a safe way for childbirth assistance as they do not result in negative effects on maternal and perinatal parameters.
Complementary therapies; Labor pain; Natural childbirth; Hydrotherapy; Obstetric nursing
