None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The purpose of this mixed methods research study will be to explore the experiences of a small group of women using Virtual Reality as a non-pharmacological method of pain relief in labour and to discover whether Virtual Reality has an effect on the experience of labour pain for women. To gather data an initial feasibility study will be conducted. Interviews with 10 pregnant women will be conducted to assess acceptability and feasibility of the use of Virtual Reality and a range of Virtual Reality environments. Further data will be collected in the form of objective (physiological) and subjective measures of pain intensity before, during and after using Virtual Reality in labour. In the final phase of data gathering, interviews will be conducted post-birth with the 10 women. The interviews will be transcribed and analysed phenomenologically.
Interventions
The intervention is Virtual Reality technology via a headset. The headset is wireless. Participants can easily put it on themselves. You put it on like glasses with elasticised straps similar to a helmet. It is immersive, participants cannot see peripherally, only what they see in the goggles. Software consists of a range of Virtual Reality scenes, relaxation scenes comprising tropical beach scenes, waterfalls, the universe and solar system, forest scenes. with natural sounds. The project a
The intervention is Virtual Reality technology via a headset. The headset is wireless. Participants can easily put it on themselves. You put it on like glasses with elasticised straps similar to a helmet. It is immersive, participants cannot see peripherally, only what they see in the goggles. Software consists of a range of Virtual Reality scenes, relaxation scenes comprising tropical beach scenes, waterfalls, the universe and solar system, forest scenes. with natural sounds. The project aims to conduct a feasibility study with women who are 35 weeks and over pregnant , inviting participants to try out four-six Virtual Reality scenes via the headset. Each scene lasts a maximum of 15-20 minutes. When these women go into labour, the next stage of the project invites these women to use the Virtual Reality technology in their labour, at any stage of labour they choose, for how often throughout their labour they choose and for how long they choose to wear the device. The minimum duration of use of this intervention in labour would be 10mins and the maximum duration 30 minutes. In terms of frequency of use the suggested frequency would be 2-4 times during labour. The intervention is in addition to standard care. Subjective and objective (physiological) measures of pain intensity will be recorded pre-intervention, during intervention and post-intervention. The researcher who is a professional midwife with 18 years experience will deliver the intervention. The intervention will be delivered face-to-face individually to each women when in labour. The location is where the women chooses to give birth either at home, in a midwife-led birthing unit or a tertiary maternity unit.
Sponsors
Lorna Massov
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Single group
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 40 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Nulliparous or multiparous 35 weeks pregnant and over
Exclusion criteria
No history of seizures No vision or hearing deficits No history of psychiatric disturbances No history of severe nausea No predisposition to motion sickness English as a second language requiring the use of an interpreter
Outcome results
None listed