THE EFFECT OF LABOR DANCE ON THE LABOR PAIN, BIRTH SATISFACTION AND NEONATAL OUTCOMES
Condition: Labor Pain; Satisfaction; Infant Conditions
MeSH terms: Labor Pain
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Objective: This research was conducted to determine the effects of labor dance on perceived
      birth pain, birth satisfaction, and neonatal outcomes.

      Design: This research was an experimental study with three groups. The data were collected
      during the active phase of labor as three groups; Dance Practitioner Midwife Group (DPMG-40
      pregnant), Dancing Practitioner Spouse / Partner Group (DPSG-40 pregnant) and Control Group
      (CG-80 pregnant).

      Setting: This research was conducted at Ministry of Health Izmir Urla State Hospital between
      April 1, 2017 and October 31, 2017.

      Participants: The pregnant women in the DPMG danced with the midwives in charge of the
      delivery room and following the pregnancy, but those in the DPSG danced with their
      spouse/partners during the active phase of labor. Labor pains were measured before the labor
      dance was begun (when the vaginal dilatation was 4 cm) and after the labor dance (when the
      vaginal dilatation was 9 cm) using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). In the postpartum period,
      the first, fifth, and tenth-minute Apgar scores and oxygen saturation levels of the newborns
      were measured and recorded. The Mackey Childbirth Satisfaction Rating Scale was applied to
      evaluate the women's birth satisfaction at the end of the first hour. In the Control Group,
      only routine practices were implemented in the hospital, and data were collected as indicated
      in the experimental groups.
    

Detailed description: 
      During a labor dance, pregnant women's hands were wrapped around the neck of the partner
      (midwife or spouse), the pregnant woman put her head on her partner's shoulder, and they
      swung left to right accompanied by calming music. During the labor dance, the partner
      accompanied the pregnant woman's swinging movements and massaged the pregnant woman's sacral
      area at the same time. The study showed a positive effect of labor dancing on decreasing
      birth pain and improving satisfaction and neonatal outcomes whether the dance was performed
      with the spouse or the midwife during the intrapartum period.
    

Intervention name(s): Labor Dance
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): The pregnant women and their spouses were trained about the labor dance in the prenatal training without disclosing any information regarding the delivery and labor pain. The pregnant women and their spouses/partners who wanted to perform the practice were asked to inform the researcher when the labor started. The researcher stayed with the pregnant women and their spouses during the practice and labor process. The pregnant women started to dance with their spouses during the active phase of the labor process accompanied by meditation music (on a YouTube channel named Ohgertam Jugrefem) in a dim, silent environment. The spouse or partner massaged the pregnant woman's sacral area while dancing. During the active phase of labor, the pregnant women in the DPMG danced with the midwives who were attendant in the delivery room and who were monitoring the pregnant women's status.
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: The study sample included 160 pregnant women who had the following characteristics: i) those who were admitted to the Ministry of Health Urla State Hospital for labor ii) those who met the inclusion criteria, and iii) those who had received labor dance training by attending Prenatal Training with their spouses/partners in the prenatal period. The Dance Practitioner Spouse/Partner Group (DPSG) (Experimental) included 40 pregnant women who signed the Informed Consent Form, the Dance Practitioner Midwife Group (DPMG) included 40 pregnant women and midwives who had received labor dance training, and the Control Group included 80 pregnant women who were subjected to routine treatment without dance. The sample size was calculated using a power analysis. The optimum sample size was found to be 160 as Type 1 error α = 0.05 and Type 2 error β = 0.2 (power = 80%).
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Supportive Care