Pain
Conditions
Keywords
acupuncture, induced labour, labour outcome, nulliparae, pain-relief, epidural during labour
Brief summary
The study was primarily designed to assess the role of acupuncture in reducing the need for epidural analgesia for pain relief during induced labour. The other outcomes of labour were to be observed in addition.
Detailed description
The study was limited to women in their first pregnancy having labour induced for prolonged pregnancy or mild hypertension. The study involved randomised groups managed with manual acupuncture, electro acupuncture, sham acupuncture and a no-treatment control group.
Interventions
PROCEDUREacupuncture
The description of the acupuncture, whether manual, electro or sham, is as described for each of the individual groups.
Sponsors
University of Oxford
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* nulliparae * having labour induced for prolonged pregnancy or mild hypertension * no previous experience of acupuncture * give written informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* all who do not meet the inclusion criteria
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| the rate of intrapartum epidural analgesia | within 72 hours of trial entry | epidural analgesia administered during labour |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| the outcome of labour | within 72 hours of trial entry | the outcomes of labour included: parenteral analgesia requirement, labour length, delivery mode, neonatal condition and postpartum haemorrhage |
Countries
United Kingdom
Outcome results
None listed