Mellado-García, E.; Díaz-Rodríguez, L.; Cortés-Martín, J.; Sánchez-García, J.C.; Piqueras-Sola, B.; Macías, J.C.H.; Rivas Ruiz, F.; Rodríguez-Blanque, R. Comparative Analysis of Therapeutic Showers and Bathtubs for Pain Management and Labor Outcomes—A Retrospective Cohort Study. J. Clin. Med.2024, 13, 3517.
Mellado-García, E.; Díaz-Rodríguez, L.; Cortés-Martín, J.; Sánchez-García, J.C.; Piqueras-Sola, B.; Macías, J.C.H.; Rivas Ruiz, F.; Rodríguez-Blanque, R. Comparative Analysis of Therapeutic Showers and Bathtubs for Pain Management and Labor Outcomes—A Retrospective Cohort Study. J. Clin. Med. 2024, 13, 3517.
Mellado-García, E.; Díaz-Rodríguez, L.; Cortés-Martín, J.; Sánchez-García, J.C.; Piqueras-Sola, B.; Macías, J.C.H.; Rivas Ruiz, F.; Rodríguez-Blanque, R. Comparative Analysis of Therapeutic Showers and Bathtubs for Pain Management and Labor Outcomes—A Retrospective Cohort Study. J. Clin. Med.2024, 13, 3517.
Mellado-García, E.; Díaz-Rodríguez, L.; Cortés-Martín, J.; Sánchez-García, J.C.; Piqueras-Sola, B.; Macías, J.C.H.; Rivas Ruiz, F.; Rodríguez-Blanque, R. Comparative Analysis of Therapeutic Showers and Bathtubs for Pain Management and Labor Outcomes—A Retrospective Cohort Study. J. Clin. Med. 2024, 13, 3517.
Abstract
Hydrotherapy, including the use of therapeutic showers and bathtubs, has been studied for its potential benefits in labor pain management. Previous research has indicated that hydrotherapy can alleviate pain, but comparative studies between therapeutic showers and bathtubs are scarce. Objective: This study aims to compare the effects of therapeutic showers and bathtubs on pain perception, labor duration, use of epi-dural analgesia, and maternal and neonatal outcomes during labor. Methods: A total of 124 pregnant women were included in this study. Participants were divided into two groups: those who used a thera-peutic shower and those who used a bathtub during labor. Pain levels were measured using a visual analog scale (VAS). Labor duration, use of epidural analgesia, types of delivery, maternal outcomes (postpartum hemorrhage, perineal status, maternal hypotension, fever, and breastfeeding), and neonatal outcomes (APGAR scores, fetal heart rate, complications, and neonatal unit admissions) were recorded and analyzed. Results: Both the therapeutic shower and the bathtub effectively reduced pain perception, with the bathtub showing a greater reduction in VAS scores. The therapeutic shower group experienced a signifi-cantly shorter labor duration compared to the bathtub group. The majority of participants in both groups did not require epidural analgesia, with no significant differences between the groups. There were no sig-nificant differences in the types of delivery. Maternal outcomes indicated a lower incidence of perineal tears and episiotomies in the therapeutic shower group. Neonatal outcomes, including APGAR scores and fetal heart rate, were similar between the groups, with no significant differences in complications or neo-natal unit admissions. Conclusions: Both therapeutic showers and bathtubs are effective for pain relief during labor, with the bathtub showing a higher reduction in pain intensity. The therapeutic shower is as-sociated with a shorter labor duration and a lower incidence of perineal tears and episiotomies. Both meth-ods are safe for neonatal well-being, making hydrotherapy a viable non-pharmacological option for pain management in labor. However, the therapeutic shower may offer additional benefits in terms of labor du-ration and maternal outcomes.
Keywords
hydrotherapy; waterbirth; immersion; first labor stage; maternal health
Subject
Public Health and Healthcare, Nursing
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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