Association Between Hydrotherapy During Labor and β-Endorphin Levels in Postpartum Mother's Milk

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Obstetrics
• Lactation Biology

Background:

• Hydrotherapy is a common complementary therapy for labor pain and stress.
• The birth process impacts maternal milk composition, specifically beta-endorphin levels.
• The relationship between intrapartum hydrotherapy and maternal milk beta-endorphin is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between hydrotherapy during labor and beta-endorphin concentrations in human milk.
• To investigate the correlation between maternal milk beta-endorphin levels and perceived labor pain and birth satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional observational study included 84 women who delivered vaginally.
• Participants were divided into two groups: 42 received hydrotherapy during labor, and 42 did not.
• Human milk samples and Perception of Birth Scale scores were collected 24 hours postpartum for comparison using Mann-Whitney U tests.

Main Results:

• Mothers utilizing hydrotherapy exhibited significantly higher beta-endorphin levels in their milk compared to the control group (p=0.028).
• The hydrotherapy group reported higher overall satisfaction with their birth experience, as indicated by the Perception of Birth Scale (p=0.001).

Conclusions:

• Intrapartum hydrotherapy is associated with elevated beta-endorphin levels in breast milk.
• Hydrotherapy use correlates with enhanced maternal perception of birth.
• Further investigation into the causal link may support hydrotherapy for optimizing maternal milk and birth experience.