The effect of one to one midwife support on labor pain

Abstract Background: The birth is a stressful event. Under such a condition, anxiety and pain can cause harmful effects on mother, fetus and the labor process. Giving continuous support to mother under this stressful situation reduces the anxiety and pain and helps mother for better adaptation with this crisis. Objective: To determine the effect of continuous one-to-one midwife support on labor pain. Methods: This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted in 17 Shahrivar hospital in Mashad during a period between January 1999 to April 2000. Sixty-two healthy primigravid women with full term pregnancy were assigned in two groups. One-to-one midwife support consisted of the presence of a midwife during the first and the second stages of labor, who provided emotional support, physical comfort measures and instruction. Labor pain was measured with Visual Analogue Scale of pain (VAS). Data were analyzed using T-student, ANOVA and Fisher tests. Findings: The labor pain score in the experimental group was significantly lower than control group at the first, second, third and the fourth hours following intervention in the first stage of labor. In the second stage, after deletion of intervening variable effect, the mean labor pain score was significantly lower in experimental than the control group. Also, increase in labor pain score from onset of intervention until the end of the first and second stages was lower in experimental than the control group(p<0.0001). Conclusion: As the one-to-one midwife support reduced the labor pain, we suggest a continuous professional support by midwives for all women in labor.