Effectiveness of a Snoezelen Room on Fear, Anxiety, and Satisfaction of Nulliparous Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

<jats:p>Background: Pregnancy and childbirth are natural phenomena in a women’s life, associated with stress and anxiety, leading to adverse effects in the mother and fetus. Using complementary medicine, such as aromatherapy, music, light radiation, and aquariums in an environment that engage a person’s multiple senses can make mothers relax through mental deviations. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a Snoezelen room on fear, anxiety, and satisfaction of childbirth’s nulliparous women. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was carried out on 130 eligible women in a selected hospital affiliated to the Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran. One hundred thirty women were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 65) and control (n = 65) groups using six modes blocks using the convenient sampling method. The delivery room was designed to distract women’s minds in the intervention group. Data were collected using a demographic characteristics form, Harman’s Childbirth Attitude questionnaire (CAQ), Visual Analogue scale (VAS) to measure childbirth anxiety, and the Mackey Childbirth Satisfaction Rating scale. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 16 using independent t-test, repeated measures analysis of variance, and Bonferroni and chi-square tests. Results: The results showed a significant reduction in fear in the active phase and postpartum in the intervention group compared with the control group (P &lt; 0.001 and P &lt; 0.001, respectively). Anxiety showed a significant difference and was lower at dilatation of 6 to 7 and 7 to 8 cm, and after childbirth in the interventional group. The satisfaction of childbirth significantly increased in the interventional group (P &lt; 0.001). Conclusions: These results confirmed the importance of a Snoezelen room in the childbirth of nulliparous women, which can promote vaginal childbirth.</jats:p>

Color, light, and birth space design: An integrative review

“…They concluded that the study corroborated other studies that had shown that multi‐sensory rooms provided fear and pain amelioration, as impacted by endorphin production (relaxation) 32 . In another recent study, findings showed that fear, anxiety and satisfaction were impacted positively and significantly by labor and birth in Snoezelen Rooms 33 …”

“…32 In another recent study, findings showed that fear, anxiety and satisfaction were impacted positively and significantly by labor and birth in Snoezelen Rooms. 33 It is clear that fear amelioration is a significant aspect of birth environment design, related to creating calming and distracting spatial settings. In these studies, color and light have been shown to be quite effective in entry spaces as well as labor room settings in ameliorating fear and anxiety.…”