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Effectiveness of sacral massage during labor in pregnant women: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Midwifery
February 1, 2025
Somayeh Makvandi et al. (5 authors)
Journal ArticleSystematic ReviewMeta-AnalysisReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to assess the effectiveness of sacral massage in reducing labor pain and altering labor duration in pregnant women during childbirth.

Results Summary

Sacral massage significantly reduced labor pain intensity but did not significantly alter the length of the first labor stage or the total duration of labor. The certainty of evidence for pain reduction was moderate, while evidence for labor duration effects was very low.

Population

Pregnant women during labor.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (3)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
sacral massage
decrease
labor pain intensity
pregnant women during labor
SMD= -2.40, 95 % CI -3. 5 to -1.29, p<0.0001, I² = 97 %
significantly decreased
#1
sacral massage
no change
length of the first labor stage
pregnant women during labor
MD=-0.04, 95 % CI -0.27 to 0.20, p = 0.77, I² = 0 %
does not significantly alter
#2
sacral massage
no change
total duration of labor
pregnant women during labor
MD= -0.56, 95 % CI -1.66, 0.55,p = 0.32, I² = 90 %
does not significantly alter
#3
Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Performing sacral massage during the childbirth process can provide numerous benefits due to its potential to alleviate stress and exhaustion. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the effectiveness of sacral massage in pregnant women during labor. METHOD: A comprehensive search was conducted in main databases from inception to 18th May 2024. The quality of included randomized control trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies was assessed using the Jadad Scale and the Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Nonrandomized Studies (RoBANS), respectively. All analyses were performed using the RevMan version 5.3. The GRADEpro GDT tool was utilized to determine the level of certainty of the evidence. FINDINGS: Nine articles were included in the systematic review and eight studies were included in the meta-analysis. The findings showed that in the sacral massage group, the labor pain intensity was significantly decreased (SMD= -2.40, 95 % CI -3. 5 to -1.29, p<0.0001, I² = 97 %). The findings also showed that sacral massage does not significantly alter the length of the first labor stage (MD=-0.04, 95 % CI -0.27 to 0.20, p = 0.77, I² = 0 %) and the total duration of labor (MD= -0.56, 95 % CI -1.66, 0.55,p = 0.32, I² = 90 %). The certainty of evidence for labor pain was moderate and for duration of the first stage and total duration of labor were very low. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that sacral massage was an effective, non-pharmacologic method that significantly alleviating pain in women during childbirth. As a result, this intervention can be implemented in clinical settings during labor.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
HumansFemalePregnancyMassageAdultPregnant PeopleLabor, ObstetricSacrumLabor Pain
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy85/10
Quality80/10
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.05
Weight Score2.60
Normalized Score0.70
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Effectiveness of sacral massage during labor in pregnant wom... | Panacea Index