Nursing intervention program to accelerate the parasympathetic nerve with pregnant women suffering from NVP and the responses to it

2010 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21792271
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Lifelong developmental nursing
• Research Institution: University of Hyogo
• Principal Investigator: IWAKUNI Akiko University of Hyogo, 看護学部, 助教 (60514552)
• Project Period (FY): 2009 – 2010
• Keywords: 看護 / つわり / 副交感神経 / マッサージ / 腹式呼吸

Research Abstract

Eleven pregnant women suffering from NVP were subject of intervention of foot massage and abdominal breathing to accelerate the parasympathetic nerve which has been practiced once a day for 7 days. Degree of nausea measured by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) decreased for 6.2~12.8(9.3±2.7)during all intervention duration. Furthermore, 7 (63.6%)women felt relaxation and improvement of blood flow and air inside their bodies and these made them feel that their nausea have decreased. These clarified that nausea was decreased after this intervention. Out of 72 total practices, systolic blood pressure and/or pulse decreased for 58(80.6%)cases. Furthermore, 10(91.0%)women expressed that they felt mental peace, warmth of foot, hand, and whole body and these led to decrease the chill and cold they felt. These surmise that the parasympathetic nerve was accelerated after this intervention. Participants in this research were divided into two patterns; pregnant women with acceleration of both parasympathetic nerves and sympathetic nerves, and pregnant women with acceleration of only sympathetic nerves. For the number of former women was small, difference of response to intervention between two patterns was not found. But for NVP interferes with autonomic nerve function, it is efficient to assess autonomic nerve function to clarify NVP and its effective intervention. Further research to evaluate autonomic nerve function properly using objective tools is needed to find out the tool to access the patterns and clarify differences of response to intervention.