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Arch Iran Med. 2023;26(7): 381-388.
doi: 10.34172/aim.2023.58
PMID: 38301097
PMCID: PMC10685816
Scopus ID: 85175716422
  Abstract View: 901
  PDF Download: 752

Original Article

Effect of Foot Reflexology and Benson Relaxation on Pain, Breastfeeding and Weight of Neonates of Women Undergoing a Cesarean Section

Farnoosh Tavallali 1 ORCID logo, Hakimeh Vahedparast 2 ORCID logo, Fatemeh Hajinezhad 3 ORCID logo, Razieh Bagherzadeh 4* ORCID logo

1 Student Research Committee, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
2 Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery. Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
3 Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences. Bushehr, Iran
4 Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
*Corresponding Author: Razieh Bagherzadeh, Email: r.bagherzadeh@bpums.ac.ir

Abstract

Background: Given the negative effect of postoperative pharmacological pain control on breastfeeding, the present study aimed to compare the effects of reflexology and Benson relaxation methods on pain, breastfeeding, and infant weight gain in women undergoing a cesarean section (C/S).

Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 135 women undergoing a C/S in the Gynecology Ward of Bushehr Persian Gulf Martyrs Hospital in Bushehr, Iran, in 2020. The participants were selected using convenience sampling, and randomly divided into three groups of foot reflexology, Benson relaxation, and control. The interventions were performed two hours post-operation and six hours after the first intervention. The pain score was measured and recorded immediately, and 30 and 60 minutes after each intervention. Breastfeeding frequency and duration were also assessed in the first 18 hours of birth. The infants’ weight was assessed at birth and 10 days later. Data analysis was performed using inferential statistics, chi-square or Fisher’s exact test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U or one-way ANOVA, Wilcoxon test and logistic regression analysis.

Results: There was a larger decrease in the pain score of the reflexology and Benson relaxation (P<0.01) groups after the first and second interventions, compared to the control group. The breastfeeding frequency was higher in the two intervention groups, compared to the control group (P<0.001). Furthermore, the rate of return to the birth weight in ten days of birth was higher in the reflexology (P<0.01) and Benson groups (P<0.05) than the control group.

Conclusion: Both the reflexology and the Benson relaxation methods effectively decreased pain and increased breastfeeding frequency and the infant’s weight gain.


Cite this article as: Tavallali F, Vahedparast H, Hajinezhad F, Bagherzadeh R. Effect of foot reflexology and benson relaxation on pain, breastfeeding and weight of neonates of women undergoing a cesarean section. Arch Iran Med. 2023;26(7):381-388. doi: 10.34172/aim.2023.58
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Submitted: 01 Feb 2022
Revision: 28 May 2022
Accepted: 13 Jun 2022
ePublished: 01 Jul 2023
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