Hours-long process of childbirth can be a painful experience. But, according to a medical research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, virtual reality headsets may help reduce the pain.
“Virtual Reality is already being used effectively by the medical community in a variety of applications, such as helping to rehabilitate people who have had a stroke or other brain injury, and for overall pain management,” the study’s lead author Dr. Melissa Wong, a maternal-fetal medicine subspecialist at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, said in an official statement.
Using VR to help ease labor pain is one of the least looked at applications. — Dr. Melissa Wong
The study included women with a pain score of 4–7 having contractions at least every 5 minutes. Reserachers excluded women who had received any pharmacologic pain relief including epidural or with contraindications to VR use. Participants were also randomized to up to 30 minutes of either VR or no intervention. A total of 40 patients were enrolled in and completed the study.
Researchers found that VR was effective for reducing pain in women in labor compared to those receiving no intervention. The study was published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
