Paper
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Effects of a Close Female Relative Support during Labour and Delivery on Duration of Active Labour, Incidence of Spontaneous Delivery, and Satisfaction with Childbirth Experience
Siriwan Yuenyong, MS, RN, Faculty of Nursing, Burapha University, Chonburi, Thailand, Veena Jirapaet, DNSc, RN, Faculty of Nursing, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, and Beverley A. O'Brien, DNSc, RN, Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Alberta, AB, Canada.
| Learning Objective #1: to know that intervention of support by close female relative during labour and delivery is feasibility to implement in public hospital in Thailand. |
| Learning Objective #2: to know that support from close female relative reduces the duration of active labour and enhances satisfaction with childbirth experience in primiparous Thai women. |
When women give births in hospital which does not allow any family member to be present during labour, they may experience emotional loneliness and deal with pain and unfamiliar and stressful environment. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of an intervention of support by close female relative during labour and delivery with the usual care on duration of active labour, incidence of spontaneous delivery, and satisfaction with the childbirth experience. The Convoy Model of Social Support was used as the conceptual framework. A posttest-only control group design was conducted in a 782-bed regional teaching hospital in the eastern part of Thailand. One hundred primiparous women who were at 36 or more weeks' gestation and who had uncomplicated pregnancies were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 48) or a control group (n = 52). The experimental group received support from close female relative of her choice from admission to hospital until 2 hours after birth as well as usual care, while the control group received only usual care. Within 24 hours of delivery, outcomes were assessed and compared between groups using analysis of covariance, Chi-square, and independent t-test. Findings found that the experimental group had significantly shorter duration of active labour and was more satisfied with childbirth experience than the control group (p < .05 and p < .01, respectively). There was no difference between groups in incidence of spontaneous delivery (p = .73). Support from a close female relative during labour and delivery is safe and beneficial for primiparous Thai women. The intervention reduces the duration of active labour and enhances maternal satisfaction with the childbirth experience. It is recommended that this nursing intervention be available for labouring women in public hospitals in Thailand.