Hypnosis for Turning Breech Baby
From Archives of Family Medicine, Vol. 3, Oct. 1994
Hypnosis and Conversion of the Breech to the Vertex Presentation
Lewis E. Mehl, MD, PhD
Dept. of Psychiatry
Univ. of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of
hypnosis to convert a breech presentation to a vertex presentation.
Design: Prospective case series compared
with historical, matched comparison group.
Subjects: One hundred pregnant women whose
fetuses were in breech position at 37 to 40 weeks' gestation and a matched
comparison group of women with similar obstetrical and sociodemographic
parameters derived from databases for other studies from the same time
period and geographical areas.
Intervention: The intervention group
received hypnosis with suggestions for general relaxation with release of
fear and anxiety. While in the hypnotic state women were asked for the
reasons why their baby was in the breech presentation. As much hypnosis
was provided as was convenient and possible for the women until they were
delivered of the baby or the baby converted to the vertex position.
Main Outcome Variables: A successful
conversion for the intervention group was scored when the baby
spontaneously converted to the vertex position before delivery or
successful cephalic version. The conversion rate of the intervention group
was compared with the comparison group who received standard obstetrical
care without the opportunity for hypnosis.
Data Analysis: Parametric testing of
statistically significant differences in the rate of conversion between
the two groups.
Results: Eighty-one percent of the fetuses
in the intervention group converted to vertex presentation compared with
48% of those in the comparison group. This difference was statistically
significant.
Conclusions: Motivated subjects can be
influenced by a skilled hypnotherapist in such a manner that their fetuses
have a higher incidence of conversion from breech to vertex presentation.
Psychophysiological factors may influence the breech presentation and may
explain this increased frequency of conversion to vertex presentation.
(Arch Fam Med. 1994;3:881-887)
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