Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

Background: Nulliparous women often are extremely anxious because of fear of labor pain and this anxiety will decrease their chances of normal vaginal delivery. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of chewing sugar-free gum on labor anxiety in nulliparous women.

Methods: This study was a randomized clinical trial and performed on 66 nulliparous pregnant women with spontaneous labor pains in Ahvaz Razi hospital in 2011. Samples were randomized to case group (n=34) and control group (n=32) based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Maternal anxiety was measured at baseline using Spielberger anxiety scale. Then an Orbit sugar-free chewing gum was given to case group. The women in the control group did not receive any intervention. After 30 minutes of chewing gum anxiety was measured in all subjects again. Also labor stages duration, type of birth and the need for oxytocin in both groups were recorded. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests and chi-square in SPSS version 15. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Findings of this study showed that after 30 minutes of chewing gum, mean and standard deviation of active phase anxiety of women in case group (42.85±5.46) was significantly lower than control group (49.82±7.68). In the case group, active phase duration were significantly less than control group (177±89.03 min in case group VS. 229.03±59.68 min in control group p=0.001). Also second stage of labor duration in the case group (43.91±10.96) was less than control group (52.65±18.27) with p-value of 0.021. Type of delivery and the need for oxytocin were not significantly different between the two groups.

Conclusions: Based on the findings of this study it seems that chewing a gum can be used to reduce anxiety of labor as a non-invasive and effective method.