Labor Pain, Labor Perception, Hormone Levels and Childbirth Comfort Clinical Trial
Official title:
Effect of Therapeutic Touch on Labor Pain, Labor Perception, Hormone Levels and Childbirth Comfort
Levels of pain and anxiety experienced during labor are important factors affecting maternal and infant health. One indicator affecting these factors is labor-specific hormone levels in the uterus. Therapeutic touch practice is a CAT (Complementary and Alternative Therapies) method, and its effect on these factors will be a guide for future practice. The study participants will be women who are accepted to the delivery room of Adana Seyhan Public Hospital affiliated to Adana City Health Administrative of T.R. Ministry of Health between 01th of January 2022 and 01th of January 2023. The sample size of the study was calculated using G*power 3.1.9.6 program. Data obtained from the study conducted by Türkmen and Tuna Orhan (2021) were utilized for the effect size to be used for the calculation of the sample size. With d=0.86 effect size, 5% margin of error (α=0.05), 80% power (1-β=0.80), the sample size was calculated as 23 for the experimental group and 23 for the control group. Considering potential losses in the process, the sample size in both groups was increased by 10% and 25 pregnant women in each group were decided to be included in the study. An average of 15-minute therapeutic touch will be administered in the experimental group. As for the control group, they will be administered fake therapeutic touch for 15 minutes. Data will be collected using the pre and post-therapeutic touch hormone levels, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Childbirth Comfort Scale (CCS), and spit sample. Maternal Perception of Labor Scale (MPLS) data will be collected after the administration is finished. Data will be analyzed using Social Sciences Statistical Package Program 20.0. Very few studies have been conducted on whether labor pain can be decreased effectively using therapeutic touch. However, there are no placebo-controlled and single-blind experimental studies that investigated the effect of therapeutic touch practice during labor on labor pain, labor perception, childbirth comfort, endorphin, oxytocin, and cortisol hormone levels. Therefore, this study will be conducted as a randomized-controlled study to investigate the effect of therapeutic touch on labor pain, labor perception, childbirth comfort, endorphin, oxytocin, and cortisol hormone levels.
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