title: Self-hypnosis for coping with labour pain: a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the use of epidural analgesia and experienced pain during childbirth after a short antenatal training course in self-hypnosis to ease childbirth.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomised, controlled, single-blinded trial using a three-arm design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Aarhus University Hospital Skejby in Denmark during the period July 2009 until August 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1222 healthy nulliparous women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Use of epidural analgesia and self-reported pain during delivery was compared in three groups: a hypnosis group receiving three 1-hour lessons in self-hypnosis with additional audiorecordings to ease childbirth, a relaxation group receiving three 1-hour lessons in various relaxation methods and mindfulness with audiorecordings for additional training, and a usual care group receiving ordinary antenatal care only.
  
  
  METHODS
  
  
  
  METHODS
  Use of epidural analgesia. Secondary outcomes included self-reported pain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no between-group differences in use of epidural analgesia-31.2% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 27.1-35.3) in the hypnosis group, 29.8% (95% CI 25.7-33.8) in the relaxation group and 30.0% (95% CI 24.0-36.0) in the control group. No statistically significant differences between the three groups were observed for any of the self-reported pain measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this large randomised controlled trial of a brief course in self-hypnosis to ease childbirth, no differences in use of epidural analgesia or pain experience were found across study groups. Before turning down self-hypnosis as a method for pain relief, further studies are warranted with focus on specific subgroups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Aarhus University Hospital Skejby, Aarhus, Denmark. anette.werner@soci.au.dk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uldbjerg
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zachariae
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Nohr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016362:Analgesia, Obstetrical / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006990:Hypnosis / Q000379:methods*; D057194:Intention to Treat Analysis; D048949:Labor Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods; D012064:Relaxation Therapy; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*; D016037:Single-Blind Method