Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by risk of bias (lack of blinding and unclear randomization), and by imprecise results (limited study size for each comparison).
A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 8 studies with a total of 556 subjects, evaluating hypnotherapy (1 trial), imagery (5 trials), autogenic training (1 trial) and yoga (1 trial). Compared with usual care, imagery decreased anxiety during the early and middle stages of labour (MD -1.46; 95% CI -2.43 to -0.49; 1 trial, n=133) and (MD -1.24; 95% CI -2.18 to -0.30). Another study showed that imagery had a positive effect on anxiety and depression in the immediate postpartum period. Autogenic training might be effective for decreasing women's anxiety before delivering.
Date of latest search: 29 May 2011
Primary/Secondary Keywords