Auricular acupressure with five-element music therapy reduces labor pain and short-term postpartum depression: A...

Labor pain and postpartum depression (PPD) are prevalent peripartum complications affecting mothers globally. Conventional interventions for pain management are often limited by contraindications or side effects.

This study aims to investigate the effects of auricular acupressure combined with five-element music therapy (FEMT) in alleviating labor pain and reducing PPD incidence.

This randomized controlled trial enrolled 146 parturients with singleton cephalic pregnancy preparing for vaginal delivery. Participants were randomly assigned to either the treatment group (auricular acupressure at five points: Internal Genitals, Shenmen, Endocrine, Sympathetic and Subcortex, combined with FEMT) or the control group (routine care). Auricular acupressure was administered during labor until 2 h postpartum, while FEMT involved listening to five-element music. Pain level was evaluated using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), and PPD incidence was assessed via Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores at 1 and 6 weeks postpartum.

The treatment group exhibited significantly lower median NRS scores at 6 cm cervical dilation (6 vs. 8, P < 0.001) and 10 cm dilation (7 vs. 9, P < 0.001). At 1 week postpartum, the treatment group had lower EPDS scores (8 vs. 9, P = 0.036), with reduced PPD incidence (15.1% vs. 32.9%, P = 0.012) and major PPD incidence (6.8% vs. 19.2%, P = 0.027). No significant differences in PPD rates were observed at 6 weeks postpartum. Neonatal outcomes and intrapartum cesarean rates were comparable between groups.

The combination of auricular acupressure and FEMT effectively alleviated labor pain and reduced short-term PPD incidence.