[Effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation on labor analgesia]

To observe the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on labor pain.

A total of 151 primiparas who were vaginal delivery were randomized into a TEAS group (76 cases) and a peridural group (75 cases). In the peridural group, peridural blockage was applied to analgesia. In the TEAS group, TEAS was applied at Hegu (LI 4)，Neiguan (PC 6), Jiaji T₁₀~L₁ (EX-B 2) and Ciliao (BL 32), disperse-dense wave (2 Hz/100 Hz), 15-50 mA in current intensity. The analgesic time was from 3 cm to completely opening of cervix. The visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were observed before analgesia, after 30, 60, 120 min of analgesia in the two groups. The time of different stages of labor, usage rate of oxytocin, incidence rate of adverse reaction and amount of postpartum hemorrhage were recorded. The newborn's 1 and 5 min Apgar scores were evaluated.

The VAS scores showed a downward trend in the two groups after analgesia (P<0.01), and the change of the TEAS group was less than the peridural group (P<0.01). The active phase on the first stage and second stage of labor in the TEAS group were shorter than the peridural group (P<0.01, P<0.05), there was no significant difference in the time of third stage of labor between the two groups (P>0.05). The usage rate of oxytocin and incidence rate of adverse reaction in the TEAS group were 9.2% (7/76) and 2.6% (2/76), which were lower than 34.7% (26/75) and 18.7% (14/75) in the peridural group (P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the amount of postpartum hemorrhage and newborn's 1 and 5 min Apgar scores between the two groups (P>0.05).

The analgesic effect of TEAS is inferior to peridural blockage, but TEAS could relieve labor pain to the tolerance, shorten the time of active phase on the first stage and second stage of labor and reduce the use of oxytocin, has mild adverse reaction.