Mind-Body Therapies Found Helpful for Pregnancy, Birth Outcomes

A research review reveals that mind-body methods are mildly associated with higher birth weights, shorter labors, fewer instrument-assisted births.

Researchers from the School of Nursing at San Jose State University in California reviewed published studies on the effectiveness of mind-body interventions during pregnancy, and whether these methods helped with perceived stress, mood, and prenatal outcomes.

Twelve out of 64 published intervention studies between 1980 and February 2007 of healthy, adult pregnant women met criteria for review. The studies were categorized by type of mind-body modality used. Progressive muscle relaxation was the most common intervention. Other studies used a multimodal psycho education approach or a yoga and meditation intervention. The research contained methodological problems - mainly the absence of a randomized control group or failure to adequately control confounding variables.

Nonetheless, there was modest evidence for the efficacy of mind-body modalities during pregnancy. Treatment group outcomes included higher birth weight, shorter length of labor, fewer instrument-assisted births, and a reduction in perceived stress and anxiety.

Guided Motor Imagery Helps with Athletic Performance, Neurological Conditions

Investigators at the University of Haifa in Israel reviewed the literature to determine the positive effects of guided motor imagery practice on motor performance. There is abundant evidence that motor performance is improved in athletes, people who are healthy, and people with neurological conditions, such as stroke, spinal cord injury and Parkinson’s disease. This article discusses how to integrate motor imagery into a physical therapy practice and goes into particulars of visual and kinesthetic motor imagery, factors that modify motor imagery practice, the design of motor imagery protocols, and potential applications of motor imagery.

Citation: Dickstein R, Deutsch JE. Motor imagery in physical therapist practice. Physical Therapy. 2007 Jul; 87 (7): pages 942-53. Epub 2007 May 1 This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University found significant fetal responses to guided imagery designed to induce maternal relaxation during the 32nd week of pregnancy, including slower fetal heart rate, increased fetal heart rate variability.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University measured fetal responses generated from a guided imagery intervention designed to induce maternal relaxation during the 32nd week of pregnancy. Fetal responses were recorded in 100 maternal-fetal pairs, using a digitized data collection system.

The 18-min guided imagery intervention generated significant changes in maternal heart rate, skin conductance, respiration period, and respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Significant alterations in fetal neurobehavior were observed, including decreased fetal heart rate (FHR), increased FHR variability, suppression of fetal motor activity (FM), and increased FM-FHR coupling.

Attribution of the two fetal cardiac responses to the guided imagery procedure itself, as opposed to simple rest, was tempered by the observed pattern of response. Significant associations were found between maternal autonomic measures and fetal cardiac patterns, lower umbilical and uterine artery resistance and increased FHR variability, and declining salivary cortisol and FM activity.

Citation: Dipietro JA, Costigan KA, Nelson P, Gurewitsch ED, Laudenslager ML. Fetal responses to induced maternal relaxation during pregnancy. Biological Psychology. 2007 Aug 31; [Epub ahead of print]

A study out of Sweden shows that tactile massage provides some relief to women suffering from severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, by pleasantly distracting them and relaxing them

Researchers from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hospital of Skövde, Sweden, looked at the efficacy of tactile massage for women with severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (SNVP).

Ten hospitalized women with SNVP were included. Each woman was given tactile massage on three separate occasions. After the final massage, an open interview was used inquiring about the experience of severe nausea and vomiting, and of tactile massage.

The researchers concluded from the responses that when nausea is experienced as controlling a woman''s life, tactile massage is experienced as promoting relaxation and relief, and gives an opportunity to regain access to the body. The findings suggest that tactile massage is a good alternative and complement to traditional treatment of SNVP.


Citation: Agren A, Berg M. Tactile massage and severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy--women's experiences. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. 2006 Jun; 20 (2): pp.169-76. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Italian researchers from the University of Torino review the literature to see which interventions safely help pregnant women with severe migraines, and find biofeedback and acupuncture worthy of discussion.

Italian researchers at the Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The University of Torino reviewed the literature to see how migraine headaches are treated during pregnancy, when hormones exacerbate the condition, while many standard drugs are contra-indicated.

The most important drugs for the management of acute attacks (triptans, non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, antiemetics, ergot derivatives and combination products) are discussed, with analysis of the appropriateness of their use during the 3 trimesters of pregnancy and during lactation, taking into consideration the indications of the Food and Drug Administration and of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

In addition, the review discusses two efficacious, non-pharmacological therapies used for migraine - biofeedback and acupuncture, and includes a predetermined formula of acupoints for the combined treatment of migraine and acute nausea and vomiting. (This article is in Italian).

Citation: Allais G, Bosio A, Mana O, Airola G, Ciochetto D, Terzi MG, De Lorenzo C, Quirico PE, Benedetto C. [Migraine during pregnancy and lactation: treatment of the acute attack and non-pharmacological prophylactic strategies] Minerva Med. 2003 Aug;94(4 Suppl 1):27-38. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Citation: Cha KY, Wirth DP, Lobo RA. Does prayer influence the success of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer? Journal of Reproductive Medicine. 2001 Sep; 46 (9): 781-7.