Background: Acupressure may stimulate oxytocin release from the pituitary gland, which in turn regulates uterine contractions to improve the progress of labor; hence, studies have shown that acupressure on the Spleen 6 (SP6) point may be a complementary strategy for augmenting labor and/or shortening the first stage of labor without causing adverse effects to the mother or the newborn. Objective: To compare contractions produced by acupuncture technique from the contractions produced by conventional method using oxytocin in terms of: intensity, duration and interval of the uterine contractions and to determine if acupuncture technique at Sanyinjiao (spleen 6) and Hegu (Large Intestine 4) can be used as alternative method in establishing uterine contractions in Contraction Stress Test (CST) as a means of fetal surveillance. Methodology: This is a Randomized Controlled Trial done in University of Santo Tomas Hospital. This included 54 term pregnant patients who met the inclusion criteria and were randomized into two groups: 27 patients in Acupuncture group and 27 patients in Oxytocin group (control group). All recruited patients were hooked to electronic fetal monitor to obtain baseline strips for 20 minutes. Acupuncture needles were applied bilaterally at Sanyinjiao (spleen 6) and Hegu (Large Intestine 4) for 20 minutes to the study subjects. Results: Subjects who received acupuncture had greater intensity (p=0.551) and significant longer duration (p=0.001) of uterine contractions than the oxytocin group. However, there was significant shorter interval of uterine contractions after oxytocin treatment (p=0.013) than acupuncture. Furthermore, subjects who were in the acupuncture group obtained initial uterine contractions and achieved desirable uterine contractions faster than oxytocin. Conclusion Application of acupuncture in Spleen 6 (Sanyinjiao SP6) and Large Intestine 4 (Hegu LI4) can initiate and induce uterine contractions faster. Acupuncture technique when compared to the conventional method using oxytocin, produces stronger and longer contractions. Furthermore, there is shorter mean time to achieve initial and adequate contractions thru acupuncture technique. Contractions also disappear in a much shorter time in acupuncture technique than in oxytocin group hence ideal for outpatient setting.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Uterine Contraction ; Oxytocin ; Acupuncture Therapy

With the introduction of assisted reproductive technologies, the incidence of multifetal pregnancies has significantly increased. In vaginal delivery for multifetal pregnancy, the delivery of the second fetus usually follows the first in few minutes. However in rare circumstances, the delivery is delayed for days due to disappearance of uterine contraction after delivery of the first fetus. Successful prolongation of the interdelivery time may improve the neonatal outcomes of the remaining fetus (es), particularly in the cases of extremely premature gestation. We present a case of a delayed delivery of second twin with an interval of 48 days.
Fetus ; Humans ; Incidence ; Pregnancy ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted ; Uterine Contraction

The aim of this investigation was to determine whether epidural analgesia has any effect on the uterine activity. Uterine activity was checked by an intermal tocometer and calculated in uterine activity units (UAU) which were expressed as Montevideo units. Twenty two gravidas who had the term pregnancy in labor without any obstertical complications were selected and epidural analgesia was performed in 17 of these patients. Plain lidocaine was used in 10 of them, lidocaine mixed with epinephrine (200,000:1) was used in another 7 gravidas and 5 gravidas were chosen as a control group. The results were as follows: The uterine actvity of the continuous epidural anesthesia group did not differ from that of the control group. The uterine activity changes were not statistically significant between the plain Iidocaine group and the epinephrine mixed group.
Analgesia, Epidural ; Anesthesia, Epidural* ; Epinephrine ; Humans ; Lidocaine ; Pregnancy ; Uterine Contraction*

For the high cost and mobility issues, a home uterine contraction pressure monitoring system based on Windows CE platform was developed. In this paper, the design of hardware circuit, micro-controller system and LabVIEW program based on Windows CE are discussed. The clinical validation experiment in hospital for this system was made and the experimental results show that this system complies with the trend that current medical equipment is becoming portable, homely and networked. Through real-time monitoring uterine contraction pressure, occurrence of premature birth and abortion can be prevented effectively.
Female ; Humans ; Monitoring, Physiologic ; instrumentation ; Pregnancy ; Uterine Contraction

The data of uterine contraction pressure is the information source for extracting uterine contractions status. Because there is a variety of interference existing in contraction pressure data, commonly used methods such as uterine contraction intensity integration method can not obtain decent evaluation results. We used the bior 2.4 biorthogonal wavelet to decompose and reconstruct the pressure data in order to obtain the best denoising effect. Combining with the denoised results, we proposed an algorithm of the wavelet energy value. Based on the algorithm, we calculated the curve of wavelet energy value. It was proved that using the curve of wavelet energy value can better identify contractions waveform and evaluation contractions intensity.
Algorithms ; Artifacts ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Uterine Contraction ; physiology ; Uterine Monitoring ; Wavelet Analysis

Postpartum hemorrhage is an important cause of maternal mortality and morbidity. Especially uterine atony is the most common cause of postpartum hemorrhage. Conventional method to control postpartum uterine atonic bleeding is based on the use of oxytocin and ergot preparations. Prostaglandin F2alpha analogue such as carboprost can be used to promote contraction when these agents fail to produce uterine contraction. Prostaglandin E1 analogue, misoprostol has uterotonic effect by oral or vaginal administration. They are used to induce labor and first or mid trimester abortion. In postpartum uterine atonic bleeding, misoprostols cannot be used via oral or vaginal route. Recently we have experienced that postpartum uterine atonic bleedings unresponsive to conventional methods were controlled by rectal misoprostols. So we report these cases with a brief review of literatures.
Administration, Intravaginal ; Alprostadil ; Carboprost ; Dinoprost ; Hemorrhage* ; Maternal Mortality ; Misoprostol* ; Oxytocin ; Postpartum Hemorrhage ; Postpartum Period* ; Uterine Contraction ; Uterine Inertia

Transcuataneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) analgesia as a non-drug method has received people's more and more attention recently. Considering problems of existing products, such as unstable performance and unsatisfied effectiveness, we developed a new analgesia therapy system for delivery based on bio-feedback TENS in our laboratory. We proposed a new idea for stimulation signal design, that is, we modulated a middle frequency signal by a traditional low frequency TENS wave in the new system. We designed different prescription waves for pain relief during a uterine contraction or massage between contractions. In the end, a bio-feedback TENS method was proposed, in which the waveforms of stimulation signals were selected and their parameters were modified automatically based on feedback from uterine pressure, etc. It was proved through quality tests and clinical trials that the system had good performance and satisfied analgesia effectiveness.
Analgesia ; methods ; Biofeedback, Psychology ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Pain Management ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation ; methods ; Uterine Contraction

This study was designed to test the effects of a full body massage on uterine contraction, length of labor, type of delivery, and drug intervention for primipara during labor. Data were collected using a quasi-experiment method (nonequivalent control group, pre-post test design) from November 1, 2001 to July 31, 2002. The subjects of this experiment consisted of 28 women in the experimental group and 29 in the control group, out of 57 primipara hospitalized at the U OB & GYN hospital in Inchon. The experimental group was given a 20 minute full body massage for each of the three delivery phases (latent, active, and transition). The control group was given conventional delivery care. Three (3) parameters were analyzed in this experiment. (1) The interval, duration, and strength of uterine contraction, using an electric tocodynamometer (2) The elapsed time for stage 1 and stage 2 labor. (3) The types of deliveries and drug interventions, using postpartum medical records The data collected were analyzed using the repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-test, and X(2) test of the SPSS program. The results of the experiment are as follows: 1) Uterine contraction interval was signifi- cantly reduced (F=3.210, p=.050). Duration of uterine contraction showed significant increase only during the transition phase (t=-2.319, p=.023). Strength of uterine contraction showed no significant difference. 2) Total length of labor was significantly shortened (t=-5.245, p=.000). The length of 1st stage labor was signifi- cantly shortened (t=-5.164, p=.000), with latent phase showing (t=-4.709, p=.000), active phase (t=-2.973, p=.005), and transition phase (t=-2.031, p=.047). The length of 2nd stage labor showed no significant difference. 3) The number of natural deliveries were significantly increased (X(2)=13.127, p=.004). 4) The number of drug interventions were significantly fewer (X(2)= 4.493, p=.034). In conclusion, this study shows that a full body massage has a significantly positive effect on uterine contraction interval, length of labor, type of delivery, and drug intervention. Therefore, this study suggests that a full body massage be used clinically to help primipara during labor.
Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Female ; Humans ; Incheon ; Massage* ; Medical Records ; Postpartum Period ; Uterine Contraction*

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the therapeutic effect and applying value of Hegu (LI 4) for inertia of uterus.

METHODSIn three centers, 276 cases enrolled were randomly assigned to a western medicine group and an acupuncture and western medicine group. The western medicine group were treated with intravenous drip of oxytocin, and the acupuncture and western medicine group were treated with electroacupuncture at Hego (LI 4) and intravenous drip of oxytocin. Changes of inertia of uterus and duration and interval of uterine contraction were investigated in the two groups.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 97.1% in the acupuncture group, and 70.3% in the western medicine group with a very significant difference between the two groups (P < 0. 01). There was a significant difference in the duration and the interval of uterine contraction between the two groups (P < 0.1, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONElecoroacupuncture at Hego (LI 4) can be adopted for treatment of dystocia due to abnormality of force of labor.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Electroacupuncture ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Labor, Obstetric ; physiology ; Pregnancy ; Time Factors ; Uterine Contraction

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to test effects of music therapy on stress due to preterm labor and uterine contraction in pregnant women with preterm labor. METHODS: An experimental research design was used. Participants were 35 pregnant women with preterm labor who were between 20 to 37 weeks of pregnancy: control group (n=18) received only tocolytic drugs, while experimental group (n=17) received additional music therapy. In the experimental group, Traumerei was applied before Non-Stress Test (NST) from the second day to fifth day after admission as music therapy. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in stress due to preterm labor (z=-3.368, p<.001) between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The music therapy is an effective method for reducing the stress of pregnant women with preterm labor.
Female ; Humans ; Methods ; Music Therapy* ; Music* ; Obstetric Labor, Premature* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women* ; Research Design ; Uterine Contraction*