The Effect of Guided Imagery on the Third Stage of Labor

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Third Stage of Labor; Bleeding; Guided Imagery; Childbirth
• Interventions: Behavioral: Guided imagery

• Registration Number: NCT00826735
• Lead Sponsor: Vanderbilt University

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of guided imagery on the third stage of labor. Blood loss from hemorrhage during childbirth, most commonly due to uterine atony, is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in the United States and the leading cause of maternal death worldwide. The hypothesis was that the use of physiologic guided imagery would reduce the amount of bleeding during the third stage of labor.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2007-01
• Primary Completion: 2007-12
• Study Completion: 2007-12
• Status Verified: 2009-01
• Study First Submitted: 2009-01-20
• Study First Submitted QC: 2009-01-21
• Last Update Submitted: 2009-01-21
• Study First Posted: 2009-01-22
• Last Update Posted: 2009-01-22

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Female
• Target Recruitment: Not specified

Inclusion Criteria

• 18 years of age or older but less than 35 years
• English as her primary language
• fetus in a cephalic presentation
• singleton pregnancy
• 36 to 38 estimated gestational weeks
• no contraindications to vaginal delivery
• maternal weight less than 200 pounds prior to pregnancy

Exclusion Criteria

• more than four previous children
• a history of postpartum hemorrhage
• bleeding disorder
• seizure disorder
• polyhydramnios
• diabetes (including gestational)
• hypertension
• cardiac disease
• uterine fibroids
• anemia (hematocrit less than 30)
• intrauterine fetal demise or tobacco use

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Guided imagery	Guided imagery	The experimental group received a relaxation focused guided imagery intervention to use through the remainder of pregnancy plus a physiologic guided imagery intervention during the third stage of labor. These interventions were scripted and prerecorded on CDs.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Blood Loss

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Length of third stage of labor

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Vanderbilt University Medical Center; 🇺🇸 Nashville, Tennessee, United States