CHIROPRACTIC CARE, INCLUDING CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY, DURING PREGNANCY -A STATIC-GROUP COMPARISON OF OBSTETRIC INTERVENTIONS DURING LABOR ANDDELIVERY

Objective: To determine whether the addition of chiropractic care incl uding craniosacral therapy to a regimen of standard obstetric pregnanc y results in fewer obstetric interventions during labor and delivery. Design:Retrospective, case-matched, static-group comparison. Setting: The study group was obtained from a college faculty-based clinic and r eceived chiropractic care in addition to their routine obstetrical car e. The setting for the comparison group was unknown, but the care rend ered was presumed to be primary medical obstetric care only. Patients: A consecutive sample of 63 pregnant women who sought chiropractic car e within the period under study. The reason for seeking care was not n ecessarily related to the pregnancy. The sample was primarily between 18 and 35 yr, non-Hispanic caucasian and primiparous. After selection and matching criteria, 35 patients remained in the study group. Interv ention: Chiropractic care and craniosacral therapy delivered during pr egnancy vs. unknown care within the same county. tions during labor an d delivery as reported by the birth attendant on the certificate of li ve birth. Results: No statistical differences were detected in the rat es of obstetric interventions used during labor or delivery between th e two samples. Approximate large-sample 95% confidence intervals are p rovided. Conclusion: Because of the limitations in the design of the p roject, this study provides no evidence that the addition of chiroprac tic care and craniosacral therapy during pregnancy results in any obse rvable benefit or detriment with regard to obstetric interventions use d during labor and delivery and that chiropractic care for pregnancy-r elated neuromusculoskeletal disorders should not complicate labor or d elivery.