Rebozo and External Cephalic Version in breech presentation (RECEIVE): A randomised controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if a hospital-initiated home-based rebozo intervention performed by the pregnant woman and her partner before external cephalic version (ECV) would increase the rate of cephalic presentations at birth. DESIGN: A multicentre randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Three university hospitals in Copenhagen, Denmark. POPULATION: Pregnant women with a breech or transverse presentation at 35 weeks or more of gestation eligible for ECV. METHODS: We compared rebozo before ECV with ECV alone. The randomisation was computer-generated in blocks and stratified by parity. The woman and her partner were instructed in the technique by a project midwife and performed the technique at home three times daily for 3-5 days before the scheduled ECV. Analyses were by intention-to-treat. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The number of cephalic presentations at the time of birth. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 372 women were randomly assigned (1:1) to either rebozo intervention (n = 187) or control (n = 185). At birth, 95 (51%) in the intervention group versus 112 (62%) in the control group had a fetus in cephalic presentation (OR 0.61; 95% CI 0.40-0.95). No adverse events were observed in relation to the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: In breech or transverse presentation, home-based rebozo exercise before ECV lowered the overall rate of cephalic presentation at birth. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Home-based rebozo for breech presentation before external version reduces the rate of cephalic presentation at birth.

Danish women's experiences of the rebozo technique during labour: A qualitative explorative study.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to explore women's experiences of the rebozo technique during labour. METHODS: This was a qualitative study based on individual telephone interviews, analysed by means of qualitative content analysis and inspired by interpretive description. 17 participants were recruited from two different-sized Danish hospitals and identified by applying a purposeful sample strategy. RESULTS: The main theme expressed the women's overall experience with the rebozo: "Joined movements in a harmless effort towards a natural birth". The women experienced that the technique created bodily sensations, which reduced their pain, and furthermore they expressed that it interrelated the labour process and produced mutual involvement and psychological support from the midwife and the women's partner. The rebozo technique was in most situations carried out because the midwife suspected a foetus malposition. CONCLUSION: The experiences of the rebozo technique were overall positive and both of a physical and psychological nature. The results indicate that health professionals should view rebozo as an easy accessible clinical tool with high user acceptance and possible positive psychological and clinical implications. The study contributes with a deeper and more nuanced understanding of a topic where only limited knowledge exists, however, efficacy studies are warranted.

Rebozo Technique for Fetal Malposition in Labor.

Fetal occiput posterior position is associated with increased maternal and fetal morbidities. Currently, clinicians have limited evidence-based techniques or tools to remedy fetal occiput posterior position. The traditional Mexican rebozo technique of pelvic massage, sifting, or jiggling offers a potentially valuable tool to help correct fetal malposition. This article reviews the adaptation of 3 rebozo techniques that can be used in labor to encourage optimum fetal positioning; outlines hospital considerations for safety, fetal heart rate monitoring, and universal precautions; and reviews the implementation plan to introduce and sustain use of the rebozo in a large academic medical center.