The effect of music therapy and positioning in the first stage of labour on labour pain, anxiety, stage of labour, and childbirth experience in primiparous labouring women
Abstract:
The purpose of this quasi-experimental research was to determine the effect of
music therapy and positioning in the first stage of labour on labour pain, anxiety,
stage of labour, and childbirth experience in primiparous labouring women. Seventy
subjects were purposively selected from the Obstetric Department, Ramathibodi
Hospital, Bangkok, and equally divided into an experimental and a control group. The
experimental group was treated by the application of music therapy and positioning
such as sitting and semi-sitting in the first stage of labour, while the control group was
treated with the usual care. The instruments used in this study were the Visual Analog
Scale for assessing pain and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for assessing anxiety.
The stage of labour was assessed from the time of onset of true labour pain until the
time of cervix dilatation at 10 cms, whereas the childbirth experience was assessed by
Perception of Birth Experience Questionnaire. Research was from November, 2007 to
February, 2008. Statistical analysis was processed through Frequency, Percentile, Chi-
Square, Independent t-test and ANCOVA.
Results revealed that the primiparous labouring women in the experimental
group had the lower mean score of labour pain in the active phase and transitional
phase (p < .01, p <.05). For anxiety during childbirth, they had a lower mean score (p
< .01) and for perception of childbirth experience, they had higher scores (p < .01)
than the control group with statistical significance. The stage of labour in the
experimental group was shorter than the control group, with statistical insignificance
(p > .05).
These results clearly indicate that listening to music therapy and positioning
during the first stage of labour could reduce labour pain and anxiety, and also
positively impact on the childbirth experience. This research provides an effective
choice for midwives, who ought to promote music therapy listening, and positioning,
in the first stage of labour for primiparous labouring women