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Virtual reality is beneficial in decreasing pain in labouring women: A preliminary study

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Background: Women use a range of non-pharmacological pain relief methods to reduce labour pain intensity and to help manage labour pain. Aims: The purpose of this intervention study was to determine whether virtual reality would have an effect on labour pain intensity. Virtual reality has been shown to be effective in reducing pain in other acute pain settings. Materials and Methods: This study was an intervention study in labour in a cross-over within-subjects design (Clinical Trials Registry Number: ACTRN12618001776291P). Fourteen participants reported their pain and had their heart rate and blood pressure measured during active labour while using and not using virtual reality. Results: There were significantly lower reported pain scores (6.14 compared to 7.61, P < 0.001) and maternal heart rate (79.86 beats per minute compared to 85.57, P = 0.033) and mean arterial pressure (88.78 mmHg compared to 92.61 mmHg, P = 0.022) were lower when using virtual reality compared to when not using virtual reality during active labour. Conclusion: This study makes an important contribution to the field of virtual reality in labour and birth. It is consistent with other recent findings of reduced pain in labour and links decreased pain scales to heart rate and blood pressure, the physiological markers of pain.

History

Preferred citation

Massov, L., Robinson, B., Rodriguez-Ramirez, E. & Maude, R. (2023). Virtual reality is beneficial in decreasing pain in labouring women: A preliminary study. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 63(2), 193-197. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajo.13591

Journal title

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Volume

63

Issue

2

Publication date

2023-04-01

Pagination

193-197

Publisher

Wiley

Publication status

Published

Online publication date

2022-07-25

ISSN

0004-8666

eISSN

1479-828X

Language

en