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Hypnosis may reduce labour pain
13/06/2001 11:49 - (SA)
Suzanne Rostler
New York - Self-hypnosis during childbirth
may ease some of the pain of labour, lower the risk of medical
complications and reduce the need for surgery, results of a study
suggest.
Hypnotherapy has been shown to reduce pain and the need for
anaesthesia, as well as ease anxiety and fear during childbirth.
And using hypnosis during pregnancy to prepare women for delivery
may be key since it gives them a sense of control over the
experience, according to a report in The Journal of Family
Practice.
To investigate, researchers at the University of Florida in
Gainesville assigned 42 pregnant teenagers to receive either
counselling or four sessions of childbirth classes that taught
self-hypnosis. Teens in the hypnosis group learned deep
relaxation and imagery techniques to help them cope with the pain
of delivery. They also received suggestions to help them respond
to possible complications and boost their confidence in their
ability to manage anxiety.
According to the results, only 1 of 22 patients in the
hypnosis group remained in the hospital longer than 2 days after
delivery, compared with 8 of 20 patients who did not learn
self-hypnosis. Similarly, none of the patients in the hypnosis
group needed a surgical intervention, compared with 60% of those
in the non-hypnosis group.
In addition, fewer patients in the hypnosis group experienced
complications such as high blood pressure or vacuum-assisted
delivery; opted for medical anaesthesia or Pitocin, a drug that
induces contractions; or required medication after delivery.
"This study provides empirical data demonstrating that the
use of hypnosis in preparing pregnant women for labour and
delivery reduces the risk of complications, decreases the need
for medical intervention...and promotes safer, more comfortable
delivery for mother and child," study co-author Dr Paul G.
Schauble, told Reuters Health. "We anticipate this will lead to a
reduction in the costs involved in childbirth."
Schauble explained that the hypnosis procedure used in the
study aimed to help mothers feel a sense of control, manage their
anxiety about giving birth, and give them confidence about the
outcome.
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