Hypnosis for the control of pain associated with external cephalic version: a comparative study

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Pain Management

Background:

• External cephalic version (ECV) is a procedure to turn a fetus from breech to cephalic presentation.
• Pain and anxiety are common during ECV, potentially impacting success rates.
• Hypnosis has been explored as an adjunct to reduce discomfort and improve procedural outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of hypnosis in reducing pain during ECV.
• To determine if hypnosis improves the success rate of ECV.
• To assess physician and patient experiences with hypnosis during ECV.

Main Methods:

• A cohort study compared 63 women undergoing ECV with hypnosis to 122 women receiving standard care.
• Pain was assessed using visual analogue and verbal rating scales.
• Success rates of ECV and physician-reported facilitation were recorded.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in pain intensity was reported between the hypnosis and standard care groups.
• The success rates for ECV were similar in both groups (30% with hypnosis vs. 38% without).
• Physicians perceived hypnosis as facilitating the procedure in 72% of cases.

Conclusions:

• Hypnosis accompaniment during ECV does not significantly reduce pain intensity.
• Hypnosis does not improve the probability of a successful external cephalic version.
• Despite lack of objective improvement, most women would undergo the procedure again if necessary.