Effect of Acupressure at Sanyinjiao (SP6)-Hugo (LI4) Points on Delivery Length in Nulliparous Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Delivery duration is one of the factors that affect pregnancy outcomes، and damages of mother and fetus. Excessive prolongation of labor increases possibility of infection، hypoxia، physical-neural damages، newborn''s death، postpartum hemorrhage and infection، anxiety، insomnia، and mother''s fatigue. One of the most important goals of healthcare system is optimal care of mother during childbirth. This research has been done in order to determine the effects of acupressure at Sanyinjiao (SP6) and Hugo (LI4) points in nulliparous women. This clinical trial was held on 84 nulliparous eligible women who attended to Sabalan and Alavi hospitals in Ardabil in 2011-2012. The subjects were allocated into two groups (intervention- control) with random block-size of 4 and 6. Pressures at Sanyinjiao (SP6) and Hugo (LI4) points in 4، 6، 8، 10 cm of cervical dilatation were applied in intervention group. Through vaginal examination، active phase duration and second stage were recorded in the demographic questionnaire by the researcher. Gathered data were analyzed by the means of SPSS statistical software version 16 and descriptive-analytic statistical methods. P value less than 0. 05 was considered statistically significant. The mean age of participants was 21. 9± 3. 97 years. The mean duration of the active phase in intervention and control groups were respectively 2:15±1:19 and 4:10±1:59 hours (p=0. 001). The mean duration of the second stage in two intervention and control groups were respectively 00:45±00:25 minutes and 1:04±00:39 hour (p=0. 008). Acupressure at Sanyinjiao (SP6) and Hugo (LI4) points in different dilatation reduces the length of active phase and second stage of delivery time.