Hydrotherapy in labor

Maternal anxiety and pain prolong labor and contribute to fetal distress. H ydrotherapy during labor may promote relaxation and decrease pain without t he risks caused by other treatments. In this pilot study the psychophysiolo gical effects of hydrotherapy on maternal anxiety and pain during labor wer e examined. Using a randomized, pretest-posttest control group design with repeated measures, 18 term parturients were assigned to a control or an exp erimental group, Experimental subjects were placed in a tub of 37 degreesC water for 1 hr during early labor. The Wilcoxon two-sample test revealed st atistically significant effects. At 15 min bathers' anxiety and pain scores were decreased compared to nonbathers, At 60 min bathers' pain scores were decreased compared to nonbathers. After 15 min of immersion, bathers had a significantly greater increase in plasma volume than nonbathers. No signif icant differences were found in urine catecholamines or maternal-fetal comp lications. The small sample limits conclusions, but the findings offer prel iminary support for the therapeutic effects of bathing in labor for acute, short-term anxiety and pain reduction. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.