IMR Press / CEOG / Volume 48 / Issue 6 / DOI: 10.31083/j.ceog4806214
Open Access Original Research
Effectiveness of acupoint hot compress on early puerperal rehabilitation of parturients after natural childbirth: study protocol for a prospective, multi-center, randomized controlled clinical trial
Show Less
1 Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 310006 Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
2 The Second Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 310053 Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
3 School of Health and Social Care, London South Bank University, SE1 0AA London, UK
4 Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 34054 Daejeon, Republic of Korea
5 Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, SO16 5ST Southampton, UK
6 Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, 100191 Beijing, China
7 Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, 100191 Beijing, China
8 Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China, Neuroscience Research Institute, 100191 Beijing, China
9 Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, National Committee of Health and Family Planning of China, 100191 Beijing, China
*Correspondence: syqufan@zju.edu.cn (Fan Qu)
Clin. Exp. Obstet. Gynecol. 2021, 48(6), 1350–1357; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.ceog4806214
Submitted: 26 April 2021 | Revised: 24 June 2021 | Accepted: 1 July 2021 | Published: 15 December 2021
Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Abstract

Background: Early puerperal rehabilitation can interfere with a woman’s ability to care for herself and her infant. Acupoint hot compress, with a combination of acupoints and natural physical agent heat, has significant potential to alleviate symptoms experienced during early puerperium. Current evidence regarding the effects of acupoint hot compress therapy on early puerperal rehabilitation is insufficient. The aim of this study is to address this with a multi-center design and large sample size. Methods: This is a prospective, multi-center, and randomized controlled clinical trial. A total of 1400 nulliparous women with a singleton pregnancy experiencing natural childbirth from 14 hospitals will be enrolled and randomly allocated to either an intervention group or a control group in a 1:1 ratio. Subjects in the control group will only receive routine postpartum care. In addition to routine postpartum care, the subjects in the intervention group will be administered a 4-hour acupoint hot compress with a constant temperature of 45 ± 2 C respectively within 30 minutes after delivery, 24 hours and 48 hours after delivery. The primary outcome will be the time elapsed from delivery to the first urination. The secondary outcomes will be postpartum uterine contraction pain intensity, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale for screening postpartum depression and the assessment of lactation including recording the lactation initiation time, postpartum diet, appetite, weight, neonatal weight. Discussion: These results will provide evidence for obstetricians and parturients on considering nonpharmacologic and noninvasive intervention in early puerperal rehabilitation.

Keywords
Acupoint hot compress
Early puerperal rehabilitation
Study protocol
Randomized controlled clinical trial
Funding
ZY2020-01/Association for Maternal and Child Health
Figures
Fig. 1.
Share
Back to top