Effect of birthing ball exercises versus conventional physiotherapy on maternal and neonatal outcomes in healthy antenatal mothers A Randomized Control Trial
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Not yet recruiting
- Sponsor
- Enrollment
- 70
- Locations
- 2
- Primary Endpoint
- Total Duration of Labor,Type of Delivery, Apgar Scores measured at 5 minutes after birth
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The rising prevalence of labor complications and cesarean deliveries calls for simple, safe, and cost effective interventions to support natural childbirth. Birthing ball exercises have shown potential in reducing pain, shortening the duration of labor, and enhancing maternal satisfaction, yet their use in routine antenatal care remains limited. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of birthing ball exercises with conventional physiotherapy in improving maternal and neonatal outcomes among antenatal women. The objectives are to evaluate maternal outcomes such as duration of labor, type of delivery, intensity of labor pain, and perception of childbirth along with neonatal outcomes including Apgar score at five minutes and the rate of NICU admissions. The research question focuses on whether birthing ball exercises are more effective than conventional physiotherapy. The null hypothesis states that no significant difference exists between the two groups while the alternative hypothesis proposes a significant difference in outcomes.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Coin toss, Lottery, toss of dice, shuffling cards etc
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18.00 Year(s) to 35.00 Year(s) (—)
- Sex
- Female
Inclusion Criteria
- •Pregnant women aged over
- •35 years, nulliparous, in their third trimester (more than or equal to 28 weeks of gestation), with a singleton pregnancy, and cephalic presentation No major obstetric complications and normal extremities allowing the performance of activities Willing to participate in the study and provide written informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria
- •High-risk pregnancies (e.g., preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, placenta previa).
- •Known fetal anomalies or complications.
- •Previous uterine surgery or history of cesarean delivery.
- •Medical conditions limiting participation in physiotherapy (e.g., musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular issues).
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Total Duration of Labor,Type of Delivery, Apgar Scores measured at 5 minutes after birth
Time Frame: Total Duration of Labor – At delivery (Day 0) | Type of Delivery – At delivery (Day 0) | Apgar Score – At 5 minutes after birth (Day 0)
Secondary Outcomes
- Labor Pain Intensity (Visual Analog Scale - VAS)(Perception of Childbirth (MPCS - Maternal Perception of Childbirth Scale))
Investigators
Dr Ketki Kunjarkar
Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences