Effect of Warm and Cold Acupressure Applied to the LI4 Acupressure Point on Childbirth Comfort During Labor: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Context: Labor pain is considered one of the most well-known types of severe pain. For this reason, non-pharmacological methods employed for managing labor pain are necessary to help pregnant women cope with labor pain and increase their childbirth comfort. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of cold and warm acupressure applied to the LI4 acupressure point on childbirth comfort in primiparous women during labor. Design: This study was designed as a randomized controlled experimental trial. Setting: The study was conducted between August 2020 and March 2021 at 2 hospitals in northern Turkey offering similar maternity services. Participants: The sample consisted of 129 healthy pregnant women: 44 in the warm acupressure group, 44 in the cold acupressure group and 41 in the control group. Intervention: Participants were randomly assigned to one of the three groups. The researcher applied cold or warm acupressure pouches, respectively, on the women in the 2 experimental groups on the LI4 acupressure point for 10 minutes during the active and transition phases of labor. The application was suspended for 1 hour, and then repeated 3 more times. No acupressure was administered in the control group. Outcome Measures: The Personal Information Form (PIF), Labor Monitoring Form (LMF), Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Childbirth Comfort Questionnaire (CCQ) were used to gather study data. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between both the intergroup and intra-group pain scores in the experimental and control groups (P < .05) and childbirth comfort scores in the experimental and control groups in terms of groups and timing (P < .05). Conclusion: In this study, both warm and cold acupressure were found to alleviate labor pain. The warm acupressure, in particular, had a more positive effect on childbirth comfort. Thus, warm and cold acupressure can be recommended to relieve labor pain and increase childbirth comfort.

The relationship between sleep problems and sexual dysfunction among pregnant women in Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: Sexual dysfunction and sleep problems are common in women. Nevertheless, the relationship between sleep problems and sexual dysfunction during pregnancy has yet to be fully clarified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between sleep problems and sexual dysfunction in pregnant women. METHODS: The study had a cross-sectional design and the sample was determined by employing the G*Power program on the basis of the findings of a related study. Taking the correlation value between the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) into account, it was found that the minimum sample size was 219 pregnant women. Healthy pregnant women who were literate, did not have a diagnosed psychiatric disease, did not have a mental disability or communication problems, were in the gestation period, were not restricted by their doctors in terms of engaging in sexual activity, and who were willing to participate were included. The study included those pregnant women who consecutively attended the NST polyclinic in a maternity hospital in a province in the Black Sea region of Turkey between January 2022 and August 2022. The Sociodemographic Information Form, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the ISI, and the FSFI were used to collect data. RESULTS: A total of 220 pregnant women took part. The women had a mean age of 27.4 ± 6.3. Of the pregnant women, all had poor sleep quality: 61% had insomnia problems; 30% had sexual dysfunction. When the relationships between the PSQI, ISI and FSFI were examined, there was a statistically significant positive correlation between the mean PSQI and ISI scores (p = 0.000). A statistically significant negative correlation was determined between the mean ISI and FSFI scores (p = 0.044). According to the multiple regression analysis, age did not significantly predict sexual function (ß = -0.112; t = -1.639; p = 0.103); insomnia severity predicted sexual function negatively (ß = -0.146; t = -2.136; p = 0.034). The explained variance was 2.6%. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that sleep quality as measured by the PSQI does not correlate with female sexual dysfunction in pregnant women. However, severity of insomnia does correlate with sexual dysfunction.

The effects of conventional, warm and cold acupressure on the pain perceptions and beta-endorphin plasma levels of primiparous women in labor: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to determine the impact of different acupressure procedures, performed on women's hands during labor, on ß-endorphin plasma levels and labor pain perception. DESIGN: Randomized controlled experimental trial SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: This study was conducted with 140 pregnant women in the delivery rooms of a university research and training hospital and a state hospital in a province in the Black Sea Region of Turkey. METHODS: This study was conducted with three experimental groups (who had conventional, warm and cold acupressure on their LI4 acupressure point) and one control group (no acupressure). Each group included 35 pregnant women. The data were collected using a personal information form, the Labor Intervention Follow-up Form, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Verbal Category Scale (VCS). Its main outcomes were the women's labor pain perceptions and ß-endorphin plasma levels. RESULTS: The experimental and control groups had homogeneous introductory characteristics. The experimental groups had significantly higher mean VAS and VCS posttest scores than the control group (p<0.001). The experimental groups' mean posttest ß-endorphin plasma levels were also significantly higher (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In this study, conventional, warm and cold acupressure reduced the women's labor pain and increased their ß-endorphin plasma levels. Midwives can use acupressure to reduce labor pain.