Clinical Evidence
Numerous research studies have shown the positive benefits of using hypnosis for childbirth.
Reduction of anxiety using hypnosis:
Mothers who used hypnosis for anxiety and stress management had foetuses who moved in a much more active manner than a control group (Zimmer, Peretz, Eyal & Fuchs, 1988)
Prevention and treatment of preterm labour:
Pregnancies resulting in premature labour have been shown to be more common in pregnancies complicated by higher levels psychosocial stress (Newton et al., 1979). Omer (1987) and others have shown that hypnosis combined with conventional pharmacologic therapy can significantly prolong the duration of pregnancies threatened by premature labour. Omer found that adding hypnosis to the treatment regimen prolonged pregnancies an average of 18.8% longer than patients treated with medication alone.
Hypnosis effects on turning foetuses from breech position:
One hundred pregnant women whose foetuses were in breech position at 37-40 weeks gestation and a matched control group. 81% of breech babies were successful conversions to a vertex position compared with 48% in the control group. The success was thought to be down to psychophysiological factors which may influence the breech position. (Mehl, 1994)
Reduction in length of labour using hypnosis:
Jenkins and Pritchard (1993) found a reduction of 3 hours for prim gravid women (from 9.3 hours to 6.4 hours) and 1 hour for multi gravid women (from 6.2 hours to 5.3 hours) for active labour (262 subjects and 600 controls). Pushing was statistically shorter for first time mothers (from 50 min to 37 min). These women were more satisfied with labour and reported other benefits of hypnosis such as reduced anxiety and help with getting to sleep.
Abramson and Heron (1950) & Gallagher (2001) found a shorter first stage of labour for 100 women trained with hypnosis (by 3.23 hours) compared to a control group of 88 women.
Forty-five Hypnosis for Childbirth clients (first time mothers) had an average of 4.5 hours for the active labour, a significant reduction compared to the usual 9 hours. (Harmon, Hynan and Tyre, 1990)
Medication use:
Bobart and Brown completed a study (2002) using 72 mothers, 36 of whom had received hypnotic training compared to a control group of 36 who delivered on the same day without such training:
Reduction of anxiety using hypnosis:
Mothers who used hypnosis for anxiety and stress management had foetuses who moved in a much more active manner than a control group (Zimmer, Peretz, Eyal & Fuchs, 1988)
Prevention and treatment of preterm labour:
Pregnancies resulting in premature labour have been shown to be more common in pregnancies complicated by higher levels psychosocial stress (Newton et al., 1979). Omer (1987) and others have shown that hypnosis combined with conventional pharmacologic therapy can significantly prolong the duration of pregnancies threatened by premature labour. Omer found that adding hypnosis to the treatment regimen prolonged pregnancies an average of 18.8% longer than patients treated with medication alone.
Hypnosis effects on turning foetuses from breech position:
One hundred pregnant women whose foetuses were in breech position at 37-40 weeks gestation and a matched control group. 81% of breech babies were successful conversions to a vertex position compared with 48% in the control group. The success was thought to be down to psychophysiological factors which may influence the breech position. (Mehl, 1994)
Reduction in length of labour using hypnosis:
Jenkins and Pritchard (1993) found a reduction of 3 hours for prim gravid women (from 9.3 hours to 6.4 hours) and 1 hour for multi gravid women (from 6.2 hours to 5.3 hours) for active labour (262 subjects and 600 controls). Pushing was statistically shorter for first time mothers (from 50 min to 37 min). These women were more satisfied with labour and reported other benefits of hypnosis such as reduced anxiety and help with getting to sleep.
Abramson and Heron (1950) & Gallagher (2001) found a shorter first stage of labour for 100 women trained with hypnosis (by 3.23 hours) compared to a control group of 88 women.
Forty-five Hypnosis for Childbirth clients (first time mothers) had an average of 4.5 hours for the active labour, a significant reduction compared to the usual 9 hours. (Harmon, Hynan and Tyre, 1990)
Medication use:
Bobart and Brown completed a study (2002) using 72 mothers, 36 of whom had received hypnotic training compared to a control group of 36 who delivered on the same day without such training:
|
Regional Anaesthesia Analgesia No anaesthetic or premedication |
Control Group
35 (97%) 27 (75%) 1 (2.7%) |
Hypnosis Group
14 (38%) 2 (5.5%) 22 (61%) |
In a British study, 55% of 45 patients (first and second time mothers) required no medication for pain relief. In the other non-hypnosis groups, only 22% of 90 women required no medication. Two research pieces reported on 1,000 consecutive births: 850 women used hypnotic analgesia resulting in 58 percent rate of no medication. Five other research pieces reported an incidence of 60 to 79 percent non-medicated births. (Harmon, Hynan and Tyre, 1990)
A meta-analysis compiling data from 14 studies that included more than 1,400 women showed that hypnosis reduces the need for drug pain relief in labour, lessens the need for medications that augment labour and increases the number of spontaneous vaginal births (Smith et al., 2006)
Harmon, Hynan and Tyre (1990) reported more spontaneous deliveries, higher Apgar scores and reduced medication use in a study of 60 women.
Rates of Intervention:
Thirty-eight out of forty-five Hypnosis for Childbirth mums, delivered spontaneously without the use of caesarean, forceps or venteuse. This rate of 84% is higher than the average rate of normal birth for the general population of first time mothers (Harmon, Hynan & Tyre, 1990)
Postpartum depression:
McCarthy (1998) provided five 30-minute sessions to 600 women and found a virtual absence of postpartum depression, compared to the typical rates of 10 to 15 percent. Women with a history of postpartum depression did not develop this condition, even though an estimated 50 percent eventually do. Harmon et al also reported lower depression scores in the hypnotically treated group.
Harmon et al (1990) reported a reduced incidence of postnatal depression in women who had been taught hypnotic analgesia for childbirth.
Effect of suggestions during labour:
In China, Hao et al (1997) measured the effect of nursing suggestions to labouring women and recommended that the conversation of the nurses be "controlled carefully for the purpose of advancing the birth process". This randomized control trial examined 60 first time mothers with a matched control group of 60 first time mothers and found a statistically significant reduction in the lengths of the first and second stages of labour.
Promoting lactation:
Hypnosis can be used to promote and to suppress lactation (August, 1961; Cheek & LeCron, 1968; Kroger, 1977)
Effect of antenatal anxiety on the foetus and developing child:
Children whose mothers experienced significant stress or anxiety during pregnancy have a greater vulnerability to psychological problems, even 10 years later, according to a study conducted at the University of Bristol. The study suggests that foetal exposure to prenatal maternal stress or anxiety affects a key part of their babies' developing nervous system - leaving them more vulnerable to psychological and perhaps medical illness in later life.
The study involved 74 children, as part of the Children of the 90s project. (O’Connor, 2005)
Children born to mothers reporting stress in later pregnancy were found to have slower mental development at 18 months of age and they showed more fear & anxiety. (Glover, 2006)
Pregnant women who were more anxious or stressed had significantly abnormal patterns of blood flow through the uterine arteries. The findings suggested that “the psychological state of the mother may affect foetal development and therefore birth weight”. 27% of the most anxious group had a resistance index high enough to be of “clinical concern”. Only 4% in the less anxious group had similarly impaired uterine artery blood flow. (Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, 2006).
Babies born to calm mothers have higher APGAR scores, and tend to be calmer and more laid-back. Fuchs et al. (1987) evaluated the influence of maternal hypnosis and noted a significant increase in foetal activity as a result. This, they believed was due to a reduction in maternal anxiety and improvement in placental blood perfusion.
NICE guidelines:
This is in line with National Institute of Clinical Excellence guidelines from April 2007, which discussed the benefits of teaching relaxation and self help/coping strategies to pregnant women especially in reducing depression and anxiety for those who are vulnerable to suffering these mental health problems.
A meta-analysis compiling data from 14 studies that included more than 1,400 women showed that hypnosis reduces the need for drug pain relief in labour, lessens the need for medications that augment labour and increases the number of spontaneous vaginal births (Smith et al., 2006)
Harmon, Hynan and Tyre (1990) reported more spontaneous deliveries, higher Apgar scores and reduced medication use in a study of 60 women.
Rates of Intervention:
Thirty-eight out of forty-five Hypnosis for Childbirth mums, delivered spontaneously without the use of caesarean, forceps or venteuse. This rate of 84% is higher than the average rate of normal birth for the general population of first time mothers (Harmon, Hynan & Tyre, 1990)
Postpartum depression:
McCarthy (1998) provided five 30-minute sessions to 600 women and found a virtual absence of postpartum depression, compared to the typical rates of 10 to 15 percent. Women with a history of postpartum depression did not develop this condition, even though an estimated 50 percent eventually do. Harmon et al also reported lower depression scores in the hypnotically treated group.
Harmon et al (1990) reported a reduced incidence of postnatal depression in women who had been taught hypnotic analgesia for childbirth.
Effect of suggestions during labour:
In China, Hao et al (1997) measured the effect of nursing suggestions to labouring women and recommended that the conversation of the nurses be "controlled carefully for the purpose of advancing the birth process". This randomized control trial examined 60 first time mothers with a matched control group of 60 first time mothers and found a statistically significant reduction in the lengths of the first and second stages of labour.
Promoting lactation:
Hypnosis can be used to promote and to suppress lactation (August, 1961; Cheek & LeCron, 1968; Kroger, 1977)
Effect of antenatal anxiety on the foetus and developing child:
Children whose mothers experienced significant stress or anxiety during pregnancy have a greater vulnerability to psychological problems, even 10 years later, according to a study conducted at the University of Bristol. The study suggests that foetal exposure to prenatal maternal stress or anxiety affects a key part of their babies' developing nervous system - leaving them more vulnerable to psychological and perhaps medical illness in later life.
The study involved 74 children, as part of the Children of the 90s project. (O’Connor, 2005)
Children born to mothers reporting stress in later pregnancy were found to have slower mental development at 18 months of age and they showed more fear & anxiety. (Glover, 2006)
Pregnant women who were more anxious or stressed had significantly abnormal patterns of blood flow through the uterine arteries. The findings suggested that “the psychological state of the mother may affect foetal development and therefore birth weight”. 27% of the most anxious group had a resistance index high enough to be of “clinical concern”. Only 4% in the less anxious group had similarly impaired uterine artery blood flow. (Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, 2006).
Babies born to calm mothers have higher APGAR scores, and tend to be calmer and more laid-back. Fuchs et al. (1987) evaluated the influence of maternal hypnosis and noted a significant increase in foetal activity as a result. This, they believed was due to a reduction in maternal anxiety and improvement in placental blood perfusion.
NICE guidelines:
This is in line with National Institute of Clinical Excellence guidelines from April 2007, which discussed the benefits of teaching relaxation and self help/coping strategies to pregnant women especially in reducing depression and anxiety for those who are vulnerable to suffering these mental health problems.