The Effect of Touching the Fetal Head During the Perineal Crowning Phase

NCT06783972 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: Ethics Committee Number 942
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 68
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

In this study, it is planned to shorten the second stage of labor by touching the fetal head during the second stage of labor. It is thought that touching will also have positive effects on the mother and the newborn. The fact that touching the fetal head is a cost-free and easily applicable action is a different and strong aspect from other studies. This research study that we have planned is quite meaningful in terms of ensuring a comfortable postpartum period within the scope of mother and baby-friendly practices that our Ministry emphasizes.

Conditions

The Effect of Touching the Fetal Head of the Pregnant on the Duration of the Second Stage of Labor

Keywords

midwifery; vaginal birth; touching

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Mother-Baby Interaction

  The research output will be evaluated with the Mother-Infant Interaction Scale. This scale is a three-point Likert-type scale from positive to negative, aiming to determine the mother's responses, reactions and closeness to her baby in the early postpartum period. There are 5 behavioral classifications for the mother in each scale. These are grouped as; Sensitivity for the baby, Touching/holding, Eye-to-eye and face-to-face communication, Providing adequate care, Expressing feelings. In order to obtain a full score on the scale; the item that gives the best description from each of the five behavioral categories is marked. Each item in the five behavioral categories is grouped by giving "2,1,0" points. At the end of the observation, each category is scored and a total score is obtained. The scale is applied by observing the behaviors of the mother and her baby during the first contact and the 2nd day after birth. With the scores obtained, the midwife determines the

  This scale was applied on the 1st and 2nd day after birth.

Study Arms (2)

Group 1

NO INTERVENTION

Routine labor monitoring

Group 2

EXPERIMENTAL

fetal head touching practice

Behavioral: Touching

Interventions

Touching BEHAVIORAL

In the second stage of birth, when the baby's head crowns, the mother is allowed to touch the baby's head as much as she wants and with as many fingers as she wants.

Group 2

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Gender Eligibility Details: Female
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Not to have obstetric risk,
• To be primiparous,
• To be 37W and above pregnant,
• To carry a live fetus,
• To be mentally healthy,
• To be able to communicate,
• To be literate,
• To have no systemic disease,
• To not use medication for any reason,
• To have no addiction, no movement restriction

You may not qualify if:

• Leaving the study before it is completed

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ege University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Ege University

Izmir, Bornova, 35040, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (5)

• Feldman R, Singer M, Zagoory O. Touch attenuates infants' physiological reactivity to stress. Dev Sci. 2010 Mar;13(2):271-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2009.00890.x.

  PMID: 20136923 RESULT

• Goldstein P, Weissman-Fogel I, Shamay-Tsoory SG. The role of touch in regulating inter-partner physiological coupling during empathy for pain. Sci Rep. 2017 Jun 12;7(1):3252. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-03627-7.

  PMID: 28607375 RESULT

• Hertenstein MJ, Keltner D, App B, Bulleit BA, Jaskolka AR. Touch communicates distinct emotions. Emotion. 2006 Aug;6(3):528-33. doi: 10.1037/1528-3542.6.3.528.

  PMID: 16938094 RESULT

• Sehlstedt I, Ignell H, Backlund Wasling H, Ackerley R, Olausson H, Croy I. Gentle touch perception across the lifespan. Psychol Aging. 2016 Mar;31(2):176-84. doi: 10.1037/pag0000074.

  PMID: 26950227 RESULT

• Tang Y, Benusiglio D, Lefevre A, Hilfiger L, Althammer F, Bludau A, Hagiwara D, Baudon A, Darbon P, Schimmer J, Kirchner MK, Roy RK, Wang S, Eliava M, Wagner S, Oberhuber M, Conzelmann KK, Schwarz M, Stern JE, Leng G, Neumann ID, Charlet A, Grinevich V. Social touch promotes interfemale communication via activation of parvocellular oxytocin neurons. Nat Neurosci. 2020 Sep;23(9):1125-1137. doi: 10.1038/s41593-020-0674-y. Epub 2020 Jul 27.

  PMID: 32719563 RESULT

Related Links

• Related Info
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MeSH Terms

Interventions

Touch

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Sensation; Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Midwife

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 15, 2025
• First Posted: January 20, 2025
• Study Start: January 19, 2025
• Primary Completion: March 16, 2025
• Study Completion: April 16, 2025
• Last Updated: February 3, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)