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Haptotherapy as a new intervention for treating fear of childbirth: a randomized controlled trial
Gert A Klabbers1, Klaas Wijma2, K Marieke Paarlberg3
1a Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology , Tilburg University , Tilburg , the Netherlands.
Objective:
To evaluate the effect of haptotherapy on severe fear of childbirth in pregnant women.
Design:
Randomized controlled trial.
Setting:
Community midwifery practices and a teaching hospital in the Netherlands.
Population Or Sample:
Primi- and multigravida, suffering from severe fear of childbirth (N = 134).
Methods:
Haptotherapy, psycho-education via Internet and care as usual were randomly assigned at 20-24 weeks of gestation and the effects were compared at 36 weeks of gestation and 6 weeks and 6 months postpartum. Repeated measurements ANOVA were carried out on the basis of intention to treat. Since there were crossovers from psycho-education via Internet and care as usual to haptotherapy, the analysis was repeated according to the as treated principle.
Main Outcome Measures:
Fear of childbirth score at the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire.
Results:
In the intention to treat analysis, only the haptotherapy group showed a significant decrease of fear of childbirth, F(2,99) = 3.321, p = .040. In the as treated analysis, the haptotherapy group showed a greater reduction in fear of childbirth than the other two groups, F(3,83) = 6.717, p < .001.
Conclusion:
Haptotherapy appears to be more effective in reducing fear of childbirth than psycho-education via Internet and care as usual.
