Effect of controlled breathing and supportive physcial touch upon women's responses to their labor contractions

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of nursing intervention, specifically, controlled breathing and supportive physical touch upon women's responses to their labor contractions. The study also involved further development and use of tools for measuring responses of women to their labor contractions. The sample included behavioral and physiological data for 18 women during labor. There were five primigravidas and 13 multigravidas. The supportive procedures were alternately applied to and withheld from each woman in active labor during sets of five contractions. Physiological and psychological responses were measured at the end of the fifth contraction in each set. The physiological responses were measured on the basis of blood pressure, pulse rate, Galvanic skin response and skin temperature readings. The psychological responses were rated in terms of behavioral responses in five areas: vocal response, physical response, breathing response, facial expressions response, and verbal response in terms of attitude toward particular contractions. The study showed no significant difference between the mean experiment and the mean control contractions for pulse and skin temperature. The difference was significant for systolic blood pressure between the mean of control scores during the first half of the subjects' observed contractions and the second half of their observed contractions at the .05 level. The mean of the experimental scores during the first half of the subjects' observed contractions and the second half of their observed contractions was at the .01 level. The mean of the first half of the control scores versus the first half of the experimental scores was at the .05 level. The difference was significant for Galvanic skin response between the mean of total number of experimental scores and the mean of total number of control scores at the .05 level. The mean of the second half of the control scores versus the second half of the experiment was at the .05 level. The difference was significant for behavioral scores between the mean of total number of experimental scores and the mean of total number of control scores at the .001 level. The mean of control scores during the first half of the subjects' observed contractions and the second half of their observed contractions was at the .001 level. The mean of the experimental scores during the first half of the subjects' observed contractions and the second half of their observed contractions was at the .01 level. The results of the study showed that the behavioral tool was sensitive and easy to use in obtaining variations in response. The other tools need further study in relation to timing of use and accuracy of instrumentation before they can be considered valid and reliable. However, the variations in scores obtained indicate their potential usefulness as the problems with their utilization are resolved. There is a need for further development of bio-instrumentation which is convenient and accurate for the clinical setting. Simultaneous recording of all physiological measures would greatly enhance the value of the data obtained.