Hydrotherapy During Labor and Birth in Water: A Review of Current Researches

Abstract

Hydrotherapy is one of the most nonpharmacological methods for pain management in labor, where water at different temperatures is used to treat diseases and reduce pain. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that hydrotherapy can be used in the first stage of labor, but there is insufficient evidence on the outcomes of water birth. When the effects of hydrotherapy were examined according to the stages of labor, it was determined that it had an effect on pain, anxiety, comfort level, sympathovagal balance, parenting behavior and active phase duration in the first stage of labor. In the second stage of labor; epidural and opioid use, maternal pain, episiotomy use, intact perineum, shoulder dystocia and duration of labor. In the postpartum period, it has been reported to have an effect on the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage, birth satisfaction and women's sense of autonomy, shorten the duration of hospitalization and increase the rate of breastfeeding. When the effects of water birth on the newborn are examined, it is determined that it has an effect on body temperature, arterial and venous pH, while it has no effect on Apgar. Although there are various studies on water birth in the literature, more studies are needed to obtain evidence-based results. The aim of this review is to examine the current research results of hydrotherapy applied in the first stage of labor and the second stage of labor in water (water birth) in the last 5 years.