EFFECT OF ABDOMINAL EFFLEURAGE AND BREATHING EXERCISE ON LABOUR PAIN AND FETO-MATERNAL PARAMETERS AMONG PRIMI PARTURIENT WOMEN ADMITTED IN JIPMER, PUDUCHERRY.

Abstract

ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Childbirth is a crucial time when women’s powers and strengths emerge full force and it is also a vulnerable time and time of many different changes, persisting opportunities for personal growth. Comfort is a very interesting concept in the context of the pain experienced during childbirth. Comfort is the expression of having met present or impending needs or desires in one’s body, mind and spirit.
AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of abdominal effleurage and breathing exercise on labour pain and feto-maternal parameters among primi parturient women admitted in JIPMER, Puducherry.
METHODOLOGY: A true experimental post test only control group design was used for this study. The study was conducted in labour room, Puducherry. The target population of the present study was primiparturient women in first stage of labour. Simple random sampling using sealed envelopes was used to select 100 pimiparturients admitted to the labour room of JIPMER, Puducherry. Background variable proforma, visual analogue scale and WHO modified partograph for data collection. The level of labour pain was assessed by using visual analogue scale n admission in the active phase of first stage of labour and during the first and last contractions of every hour thereafter until second stage. Abdominal effleurage and breathing exercise were given during every contraction in active phase of first stage of labour. Feto-maternal parameters like maternal pulse, blood pressure and fetal heart rate were assessed every hour and cervical dilatation was assesses every four hours using WHO modified partograph throughout the first stage.
RESULTS: Provision of abdominal effleurage and breathing exercises were effective in the reduction of labour pain. The Mann Whitney U test performed on the pain scores showed a significant difference in pain scores between the experimental and control groups.(p<0.001). No significant difference was observed in the feto-maternal parameters between the two groups.
CONCLUSION: The study results support the effectiveness of abdominal effleurage and breathing exercise in reducing pain during first stage of labour. These non-pharmacological measures have no effect on the feto-maternal parameters assessed. Labour pain of the study participants is not influenced by any of their background variables.
Key words: WHO-World Health Organization, JIPMER-Jawarlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical and Research.