Anxiety, Labor Pain
Conditions
Keywords
yintang, acupressure, labor duration
Brief summary
This randomized controlled study evaluated whether acupressure applied to the Yintang point during labor affects labor duration, pain, anxiety, and childbirth satisfaction in primiparous women. A total of 104 women were randomly assigned to either the Yintang acupressure group or the sham light-touch control group, with 52 participants in each group. Participants in the intervention group received five acupressure sessions during labor and the early postpartum period. Participants in the control group received routine midwifery care and light touch at a non-therapeutic forehead location. Labor duration, pain intensity, anxiety, and childbirth satisfaction were compared between the groups.
Detailed description
This study was conducted as a randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial involving primiparous women admitted to the maternity ward of a hospital in eastern Türkiye. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of Yintang acupressure on labor duration, labor pain, postpartum anxiety, and childbirth satisfaction. A total of 104 eligible participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to the intervention group (n=52) or the sham control group (n=52). Participants in both groups received routine midwifery care. Participants assigned to the intervention group received manual acupressure at the Yintang point, located on the midline of the forehead between the eyebrows. Five sessions were administered: at 5-6 cm cervical dilation, at 6-7 cm cervical dilation, at approximately 8 cm cervical dilation, during the third stage of labor, and 60 minutes after childbirth. Each session lasted approximately 6-7 minutes. Participants in the sham control group received light touch at a forehead location outside the Yintang point. The duration, participant position, and practitioner contact were designed to resemble the intervention procedure without applying therapeutic pressure to the Yintang point. Labor duration was recorded using a labor monitoring form. Pain intensity was evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale at prespecified assessment points. Anxiety was assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and childbirth satisfaction was assessed using the Birth Satisfaction Assessment Form after childbirth. Because participant recruitment and data collection had been completed before submission of this record, the study was registered retrospectively.
Interventions
OTHERYintang Acupressure
Manual pressure was applied to the Yintang point at 5-6 cm, 6-7 cm, and approximately 8 cm cervical dilation, during the third stage of labor, and at 60 minutes postpartum. Each session lasted approximately 6-7 minutes.
OTHERSham Light Touch
Light touch was applied at a non-therapeutic forehead location at the same assessment periods and for approximately the same duration as the experimental intervention, without therapeutic pressure at the Yintang point
Sponsors
Inonu University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Masking description
Participants were not informed which procedure was considered the therapeutic intervention. The intervention group received pressure at the Yintang point, whereas the sham control group received light touch at a non-therapeutic forehead location. The duration, participant position, and practitioner were kept similar between groups. The practitioner administering the interventions was not masked.
Intervention model description
Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the Yintang acupressure group or the sham light-touch control group. Both groups received routine midwifery care.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Primiparous women * Aged 18 years or older * In the active phase of labor with cervical dilation of 5-6 cm at enrollment * Term singleton pregnancy * Fetus in cephalic presentation * No known fetal congenital anomaly * Intact and healthy skin at the forehead area where acupressure or sham light touch will be applied * Able and willing to provide written informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* Known sensitivity or intolerance to acupressure or touch at the application site * Use of pharmacological pain-control methods before enrollment, including analgesics, sedatives, or epidural analgesia * High-risk pregnancy, including preeclampsia or diabetes * History of a diagnosed neurological or psychiatric disorder * Signs of fetal distress
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Labor Pain Intensity | From enrollment at 5-6 cm cervical dilation through 60 minutes postpartum | Labor pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), ranging from 0 to 100 mm. A score of 0 indicated no pain, and a score of 100 indicated the worst imaginable pain. Pain was assessed at prespecified stages during labor and at 60 minutes postpartum. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Postpartum Anxiety | At 60 minutes postpartum | Anxiety was assessed using the 21-item Beck Anxiety Inventory. Each item is scored from 0 to 3, producing a total score ranging from 0 to 63. Higher scores indicate greater anxiety. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Outcome results
None listed