Submersion in water in a birthing pool eases early labor pains, reduces stress and may lessen the need for drugs, doctors said.

Researchers at the University of Southampton in southern England evaluated the impact of birthing pools and found that it helped women cope better.

"Laboring in water ... may be an option for slow progress in labor, reducing the need for obstetric intervention, and offering an alternative pain management strategy," said Dr Elizabeth Cluett, who headed the research team.

In a report published online by the British Medical Journal, Cluett and her colleagues compared 50 women in early labor who used a birthing pool and an equal number who didn't.

Only half of women in the water group, who were supervised by a midwife, needed anesthesia, compared to two-thirds of the other group. They also reported lower pain scores and greater satisfaction and freedom of movement.

The National Childbirth Trust (NCT), which promotes health, pregnancy and childbirth in Britain, welcomed the study and said it verifies what women have been saying for years.

"This research now confirms that being immersed in warm water eases labor pain. This reduces the need for drugs, which cross the placenta and can make the baby more sleepy and breastfeeding more difficult," Mary Newburn, of the NCT, said in a statement.

She added that the findings support calls to make birthing pools available in all maternity units.

Reference Source 89

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