Investigating the effect of music on labor pain and progress in the active stage of first labor

DESIGN AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of music-therapy on labor pain and progress in parturient primipara. Music-therapy during labor increases tolerance to pain; decreasing anxiety, it increases parturition and uterus activity and shorten labor duration. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The subjects of this research were 30 women, selected voluntarily and they have been put in two experimental and control group. This research has been conducted in the form of pre-test and post-test design. The experimental group listened to a relaxing music for 30 minutes in each hour for a two-hour period and the control group was not exposed to music during this period. For the purpose of gathering data in both groups, the pain scale (verbal, numeric and visual) was used to measure pain. The independent variable in this research is relaxing music and the dependent variables are the pain level and delivery progress. FINDINGS: The independent t for sensations of pain in the experimental and control group before intervention has been (p = 0.875) 0.601 in numeric and visual pain and (p < 0.01) 2.92 in verbal pain, and one hour after intervention, it has been (p < 0.0001) 8.527 in visual and numeric pain and (p < 0.0001) 11.824 in verbal pain. Also, the equal value of independent t for the duration of delivery in control group before and after intervention shows that music has not had any effect on the rate of serotonin. CONCLUSIONS: The results of statistical analysis show the effect of music on the decrease of sensation of pain in the experimental group as compared with the control group.