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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
medicine
Companionship to modify the clinical birth environment: effects on progress and perceptions of labour, and breastfeeding
BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Volume 98, No. 8, Year 1991
Notification
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Description
Objective— To measure the effects of supportive companionship on labour and various aspects of adaptation to parenthood, and thus by inference the adverse effects of a clinically orientated labour environment on these processes. Design— Randomized controlled trial. Setting— A community hospital familiar to most of the participants, with a conventional, clinically‐orientated labour ward. Subjects— Nulliparous women in uncomplicated labour. Intervention— Supportive companionship from volunteers from the community with no medical nor nursing experience, concentrating on comfort, reassurance and praise. Main outcome measures— Duration of labour, use of analgesia, perceptions of labour and breastfeeding success. Results— Companionship had no measurable effect on the progress of labour. Diastolic blood pressure and use of analgesia were modestly but significantly reduced. The support group were more likely to report that they felt that they had coped well during labour (60 vs 24%, P<0.00001). Their mean labour pain scores (26.4 vs 44.2, P<0.00001) and state anxiety scores (28.2 vs 37.8, P<0.00001) were lower than those of the control group. Compared with the control group (n= 75), at 6 weeks women in the support group (n= 74) were more likely to be breastfeeding exclusively (51 vs 29%. P<0.01); and to be feeding at flexible intervals (81 vs 47%, P < 0.0001). Conclusions— Labour in a clinical environment may undermine women's feelings of competence, perceptions of labour, confidence in adapting to parenthood and initiation of successful breastfeeding. These effects may be reduced by the provision of additional companionship during labour aimed to promote self‐esteem. Copyright © 1991, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved
Authors & Co-Authors
Hofmeyr, George Justus
South Africa, Johannesburg
Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital
Nikodem, V. Cheryl
South Africa, Johannesburg
Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital
Wolman, Wendy Lynne
South Africa, Johannesburg
University of the Witwatersrand
Chalmers, Beverley Elizabeth
South Africa, Johannesburg
University of the Witwatersrand
KRAMER, TAMI
South Africa, Johannesburg
Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital
Statistics
Citations: 284
Authors: 5
Affiliations: 2
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1111/j.1471-0528.1991.tb13479.x
ISSN:
14700328
e-ISSN:
14710528
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Maternal And Child Health
Mental Health
Noncommunicable Diseases
Study Design
Randomised Control Trial
Study Approach
Quantitative
Participants Gender
Female