Clinical hypnosis before external cephalic version

Am J Clin Hypn. 2012 Oct;55(2):184-92. doi: 10.1080/00029157.2012.665399.

Abstract

Three to four percent of full-term singleton pregnancies present themselves as breech deliveries. External cephalic version (ECV) is a procedure to try to turn a breech fetus to cephalic by externally maneuvering the fetus through the maternal abdomen. This trial examines a clinical hypnosis intervention against standard medical care of women before ECV. A total of 78 women, who received a hypnosis intervention prior to ECV, had a 41.6% (n = 32) successful ECV, whereas the control group of 122, who had similar baseline characteristics, had a 27.3% (n = 33) successful ECV procedure (p < 0.05). This trial found that a relaxation technique with the help of clinical hypnosis was successful at increasing the likelihood of a successful ECV procedure.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Breech Presentation / therapy*
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Female
  • Gestational Age
  • Humans
  • Hypnosis / methods*
  • Pregnancy
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Version, Fetal / adverse effects
  • Version, Fetal / methods*