Background: To compare the efficiency of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) with those of exercise and acetaminophen for the treatment of pregnancy-related low back pain (LBP) during the third trimester of pregnancy. Methods: This prospective study included 79 subjects (≥32 gestational weeks) with visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores ≥5. Participants were divided randomly into a control group (n = 21) and three treatment groups [exercise (n = 19); acetaminophen (n = 19); TENS (n = 20)]. The VAS and the Roland-Morris disability questionnaire (RMDQ) were completed before and 3 weeks after treatment to assess the impact of pain on daily activities. Results: During the study period, pain intensity increased in 57% of participants in the control group, whereas pain decreased in 95% of participants in the exercise group and in all participants in the acetaminophen and TENS groups. Post-treatment VAS and RMDQ values were significantly lower in the treatment groups (p < 0.001). VAS and RMDQ scores indicated a significantly greater degree of pain relief in the TENS group than in the exercise and acetaminophen groups (p < 0.001). No adverse effect of TENS application on pregnant women was observed during the study. Conclusion: TENS is an effective and safe treatment modality for LBP during pregnancy. TENS improved LBP more effectively than did exercise and acetaminophen.

We concluded that, although pregnant women, especially who gain excessive weight during their pregnancy, significantly snore more than nonpregnant women, this did not affect fetal outcome.

Objective: To assess the effects of gum chewing on postoperative bowel function after cesarean section. Material and Methods: Women who underwent cesarean section were randomized to either a gum-chewing group (n = 74) or a non-gum-chewing group (n = 76). The two groups were compared with respect to the return of bowel activity, postoperative analgesic and antiemetic drug requirement and postoperative hospital stay. Results: Bowel sounds appeared in a significantly shorter duration of time in the study group, the mean being 5.9 h as compared to 6.7 h in the control group (p < 0.01). The first passage of flatus postoperatively was 22.4 h in the gum-chewing group and 31 h in the control group (p < 0.001). The total length of hospital stay was shorter in the gum-chewing group (2.1 days) than in the control group (2.3 days), but it was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Postoperative analgesic requirement in both groups was similar, but the postoperative antiemetic need in the gum-chewing group was lower than in the control group (p < 0.01). Conclusion: On the basis of the tolerability and results on bowel function, gum chewing provides a simple method for early recovery of bowel function after cesarean section.

NST has anxiogenic effects on mothers and listening to music during the test has positive impact on both maternal and fetal parameters but it is an open question whether maternal anxiety during pregnancy may affect fetal accelerations to such an extent that it could influence clinical judgments.

Transcervical intrauterine topical instillation of levobupivacaine or lidocaine causes pain relief during endometrial biopsy. However, further studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of intrauterine anesthesia, to determine optimal concentration, volume and waiting time according to the type of local anesthetic agent, and to assess the applicability of the method to other intrauterine procedures.