title: Comparison of vibro-acoustic stimulation and acupressure effects in nonstress test results and its parameters in pregnant women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The primary goal of antenatal testing is to identify fetuses at risk of intrauterine neurologic injury or death so that these adverse outcomes can be prevented. We want to assess nonstress test (NST) results and some parameters before and after vibro-acoustic stimulation and acupressure. We did a randomized controlled clinical trial in Shahid-Beheshti Hospital in Isfahan in 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 64 pregnant women (32-36 weeks) in prenatal care unit were selected for vibro-acoustic stimulation (n = 32) and acupressure (n = 32) during the second NST. The statistical processing was performed by descriptive, paired t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), chi-square, and McNemar test through SPSS version 20.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean baseline fetal heart rate (FHR) in vibro-acoustic and acupressure groups before and after stimulations did not differ significantly. The mean time of first acceleration in vibro-acoustic group was decreased after stimulations significantly, but in the acupressure group it did not differ statistically. The numbers of accelerations in both groups did not differ significantly before and after stimulation. The mean time of second acceleration in the vibro-acoustic group was 6.7 min before stimulation and 3.9 min after stimulation. This decrease was significant. The mean time of second acceleration after stimulation was lower than before significantly in the acupressure group. The frequency of reactive NST was same in both groups, before and after stimulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vibro-acoustic stimulation and acupressure of acupoint BL67 did not change FHR parameters but they could decrease the time of reactive result of NST.
authors.affiliation: Midwifery Department, Nursing and midwifery care research center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Valiani
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mahboubeh
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Pirhadi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Masoumeh
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Medical School, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Shahshahan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zahra
keywords: Acoustic stimulation; Acupressure; Iran; fetal monitoring