Effect of Auriculotherapy on Neonatal Apgar Score and Maternal Postpartum Hemorrhage and Vital Signs

One of the risk factors for postpartum hemorrhage is the elongation of labor. Today, various pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical methods are used to reduce pain and duration of delivery. One of these effective methods is the use of auriculotherapy (ear stimulation) in labor that not only reduces maternal pain, but also shortens the delivery duration. The effective methods in reducing labor duration may also affect the complications of increased delivery duration. Regarding this, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of this method on maternal postpartum hemorrhage and vital signs, as well as neonatal Apgar score.

This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 84 pregnant women within the age range of 18-35 years referring to Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Isfahan, Iran, for delivery. The subjects were randomly assigned into two groups of intervention (auriculotherapy) and control (routine care). The data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of two parts, the first section of which covered demographic characteristics (i.e., age, place of residence, occupation, education level) and gestational age, and the second part was related to maternal postpartum hemorrhage and vital signs. Data analysis was performed in SPSS software (version 16), using independent t-test and Chi-square test. P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The mean neonatal fifth-minute Apgar score was higher in the auriculotherapy group than that in the control group (P=0.001). However, there was no significant difference between the auriculotherapy and control groups in terms of the rate of postpartum hemorrhage (P=0.51). Maternal respiratory rate (P=0.007) and postpartum temperature (P=0.021) showed significant changes in both groups. The results indicated that maternal vital signs in the intervention group were closer to normal conditions after delivery.

In this study, auriculotherapy was used to stimulate the points of Shen Men, point zero, thalamic, endocrine, autonomic, cerebral, and sensorial points, specialized spots including three uterine points, anterior pituitary point, posterior pituitary (oxytocin), two prostaglandin points, and external genital points (perineum and vagina). This intervention resulted in the improvement of neonatal Apgar score and left no unpleasant complications for mothers