Effects of Reiki Intervention During Labor on Pain, Fear, and Birth Experience

Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Labour

Treatments: Other: reiki

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06700473

2024/303

Details and patient eligibility

About

Childbirth is an important and often stressful experience for many women, and labor pain is common among women. While labor pain is a natural part of the birth process, its severity and management can have a significant impact on an expectant mother's overall health and birth experience. Studies examining the effects of Reiki on alleviating the pain and fear experienced by pregnant women during labor are limited. In this context, understanding the effects of Reiki practices in the birth process may be important for both clinical practice and future research.

Full description

Failure to control pain can cause the mother to experience fear and stress, which can increase the risk of complications during labor and indirectly have negative effects on the newborn. There is a strong association between labor pain and fear. Fear can increase the perception and intensity of pain, making the labor process more challenging and difficult to manage. This can negatively affect the mother's overall birth experience and complicate both the physical and emotional aspects of the birth process. A woman's birth experience also has an impact on her birth memory. A positive birth experience can cause a woman to evaluate the birth process as peaceful and satisfying, which positively shapes birth memory. The use of complementary and alternative therapies is increasing every year. Although Reiki has found application in various fields, there is no information in the available literature on its use in the management of labor pain. Reiki is a complementary treatment method based on the "energy approach" and is generally recognized as safe and without side effects.

Enrollment: 54 estimated patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18 to 35 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Between the ages of 18 and 35, primiparous, singular primarily experiencing pregnancy, without risky pregnancy status (GDM, HT, etc.), during the birth week, literate Speaks and understands Turkish, 4 cm cervical dilatation

Exclusion criteria

To have attended a childbirth preparation course, Knowledge of coping with labor pain and fear of childbirth during pregnancy, Presence of chronic disease in the mother, Previous uterine surgery, Having become pregnant through assisted reproductive technologies, Hearing problems Being diagnosed with a known serious psychiatric illness.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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54 participants in 2 patient groups

Reiki

Experimental group

Description:

Before the intervention, when their cervical dilatation is 4-5 cm, EC-1, EC-2 and EC-3 will be applied to pregnant women in all groups. After the initial data collection, the researcher TC will apply reiki for approximately 15-20 minutes to pregnant women in the reiki group with cervical dilatation of 4-5 cm. Immediately after the first intervention, the second EC-2 and EC-3 measurements will be performed. The third EC-2 and EC-3 measurements will be performed when the cervical dilatation is 6-7 cm and then the fourth EC-2 and EC-3 measurements will be performed after 15 minutes of reiki application. The fifth EC-2 and EC-3 measurements will be performed when the cervical dilatation is 8-9 cm, followed by 15 minutes of reiki and the sixth EC-2 and EC-3 measurements. The final data will be collected one hour after delivery of the placenta with the seventh VAS measurement and EK-4. The EC-4 will also be re-evaluated by the researchers online at the sixth postpartum week.

Treatment:

Other: reiki

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

Pregnant women in the control group will receive routine midwifery care during labor. Both groups will not receive any non-pharmacologic intervention for pain management. All women will receive one-to-one support from midwives during labor.