The use of hydrotherapy in the first stage of labour: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract

AimTo explore the effect of hydrotherapy applied in the first stage of labour on the health of mother and newborn.MethodsThis systematic review and meta‐analysis was carried out by following PRISMA. The studies were obtained by scanning EBSCO, PubMed, Science Direct, Ovid, Web of Science and Scopus electronic databases. Twenty studies published between 2013 and 2023 were included.ResultsThe total sample size of the studies was 8254 (hydrotherapy: 2953, control: 5301). Meta‐analyses showed that the perception of pain decreased, comfort level and vaginal birth rate were higher and assisted vaginal birth rate and APGAR scores in the first minute were lower in women who underwent hydrotherapy. There was no difference between groups in terms of the duration of the first and second stage of labour, episiotomy, perineal trauma, intrapartum and postpartum bleeding amounts, use of pain medication and labour augmentations, APGAR scores in the fifth minute, positive neonatal bacterial culture and neonatal intensive care unit need.ConclusionThis study revealed that the results that hydrotherapy decreased the perception of pain and assisted birth, increased the rate of vaginal birth and comfort level and did not adversely affect the health of the mother and baby during the birth process.

Efficacy of different strategies for reducing labor pain: A Bayesian analysis

“…[5] Nonpharmacological coping strategies, such as hydrotherapy, massage therapy, music therapy and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, involve techniques other than medication and have been investigated extensively in previous studies. [6–10]…”

“…[5] Nonpharmacological coping strategies, such as hydrotherapy, massage therapy, music therapy and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, involve techniques other than medication and have been investigated extensively in previous studies. [6][7][8][9][10] Studies have explored the effects of various strategies, such as epidurals and opioids to reduce labor pain while considering women experiences and views. [11,12] Although empirical evidence indicates that different medical interventions can alleviate the pain that women experience during childbirth, the outcomes have been inconclusive.…”