[Effects of abdominal breathing on state anxiety, stress, and tocolytic dosage for pregnant women in preterm labor].
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of abdominal breathing on state anxiety, stress and tocolytic dosage for pregnant women in preterm labor.


METHODS
The participants were 60 pregnant women in preterm labor who were hospitalized from April to July, 2009. Thirty participants were assigned to the experimental group and 30 to the control group. None of them had any other complications except preterm labor. The modified Mason's breathing technique was used with the experimental group 3 times a day for 3 days. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire and chart review, and analyzed with the SPSS 13.0 WIN program.


RESULTS
"State anxiety of the experimental group will be lower than that of the control group" was supported. "Stress of the experimental group will be lower than that of the control group" was supported. "The Ritodrine dosage for the experimental group will be lower than that of the control group" was supported. "The Atosiban dosage for the experimental group will be lower than that of the control group" was supported.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that abdominal breathing is an effective nursing intervention for pregnant women in preterm labor.
Yu
Woo-Jeong
WJ
Department of Nursing, Dankook University Hospital, Cheonan, Korea.
Song
Ju-Eun
JE
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001945:Breathing Exercises; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth; D012312:Ritodrine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015149:Tocolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014668:Vasotocin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use
D015149:Tocolytic Agents; C047046:atosiban; D012312:Ritodrine; D014668:Vasotocin