A retrospective matched cohort study comparing birth outcomes for hypnobirthing participants to standard care

Background: Rather than being a normal life event, childbirth in modern society is more medicalized leading to the ‘cascade of interventions’, resulting in a notable increase in instrumental births and primary caesarean section. Associated with these interventions, is an increased risk of associated physical and psychological morbidities for women causing women to fear childbirth. This increasingly negative view around birth has resulted in many care providers and women searching for alternative methods of managing the fear and pain associated with childbirth. Hypnobirthing offers women an opportunity to use established techniques to aid women during childbirth.

Methods: Retrospective, cross-sectional matched Cohort study, of 69 participants who participated in a HypnoBirthing program between 1st February 2017 to 31st January 2018. These were matched with 69 women, who gave birth via the normal pathway, using four demographic variables - date of birth; body mass index; parity and country of birth. Maternal outcomes measured included; mode of birth, use of analgesia, perineal trauma, estimated blood loss. Neonatal outcomes included Apgar scores and transfer to Special Care Nursery or Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Analysis was completed using the SPSS program, and descriptive statistics including Chi square, T – Test and Fisher's Exact Test were employed.

Findings: The HypnoBirthing cohort required no analgesia (n = 27, 39%) compared to 5 (7.2%) p < 0.000; more likely to have spontaneous vaginal birth 36 (52%) compared to 25 (36%) (p < 0.0059) and less likely to have caesarean section 25 (36%) compared to 13 (19%) (p < .0.022). There appeared to be no difference in perineal trauma and the need for neonatal transfer to higher levels of care were similar.

Conclusion: Potentially, hypnobirthing can improve outcomes for women and their babies. Further research on a larger scale is warranted.