These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: The effects of heart rate variability biofeedback in patients with preterm labour.
    Author: Siepmann M, Hennig UD, Siepmann T, Nitzsche K, Mück-Weymann M, Petrowski K, Weidner K.
    Journal: Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback; 2014 Mar; 39(1):27-35. PubMed ID: 24271650.
    Abstract:
    Preterm birth is a highly prevalent phenomenon that was shown to be associated with mental stress during pregnancy (Rich-Edwards and Grizzard in Am J Obstet Gynecol 192(5 Suppl):S30-S35, 2005). We aimed to assess the effects of heart rate variability (HRV)-biofeedback in patients with preterm labour. Therefore, we conducted a controlled randomized parallel group study in 48 female patients aged 19-38 years (median = 29) with preterm labour at gestational week 24th-32nd (median = 29th). In this study, one group (n = 24) attended six sessions of HRV-biofeedback over 2 weeks whereas patients of the other group (n = 24) were assigned to control sessions. In the HRV-biofeedback treated group, perception of chronic stress was decreased 4 weeks after completion of training compared to baseline (p < 0.05) but there was no change in the control group. In the HRV-biofeedback group, preterm birth was seen in 3 patients (13 %) whereas in the control group, preterm delivery occurred in 8 patients (33 %, p = n.s.). There was no difference in birth weight between groups and HRV remained unchanged. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that HRV-biofeedback can reduce chronic stress in patients with preterm labour when administered as an adjunct to routine care. However, it remains unclear whether stress reduction through HRV-biofeedback has a beneficial effect on preterm birth.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]