Table 3.
Effect evaluation 24 hours after randomisation
| Acupuncture group (95% CI) | Control group (95% CI) | P-value | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delivered/in labour (primary outcome) | |||||
| Total: n/n; % (95% CI) | 7/60* | 12% (5–23) | 8/58* | 14% (6–25) | 0.79** |
| Nulliparous | 3/36 | 8% (2–22) | 3/35 | 9% (2–23) | 1.00** |
| Parous | 4/24 | 14% (5–37) | 5/23 | 23% (8–44) | 0.72** |
| Cervical maturity*** | |||||
| Cervical length <1 cm: n/n; % (95% CI) | 28/55 | 51% (37–65) | 33/51 | 65% (50–78) | 0.17** |
| Cervix dilatation (cm): mean; SDn | 1.5 | 0.8656 | 1.1 | 0.7752 | 0.90**** |
| Amniotomy possible: n/n; % (95% CI) | 16/60 | 27% (16–40) | 19/58 | 33% (21–46) | 0.55** |
| Nulliparous | 7/36 | 19% (8–36) | 7/35 | 20% (8–37) | 1.00** |
| Parous | 9/24 | 38% (19–59) | 12/23 | 52% (31–73) | 0.39** |
| Epidural | |||||
| Epidural: n/n; % (95% CI) | 24/60 | 40% (28–53) | 24/57 | 42% (29–56) | 0.85** |
| Nulliparous | 19/36 | 53% (36–70) | 20/34 | 59% (41–75) | 0.64** |
| Parous | 5/24 | 21% (7–42) | 4/23 | 17% (5–39) | 1.00** |
| Length of labour | |||||
| Total (minutes): mean (95% CI) | 448 (374–522) | 403 (333–474) | 0.38***** | ||
| First stage | 390 (319–461) | 357 (290–425) | 0.51***** | ||
| Second stage | 41 (30–52) | 60 (2–118) | 0.52***** | ||
| Postpartum bleeding | |||||
| Postpartum bleeding >500 ml:n/n; % (95% CI) | 15/59 | 25% (15–38) | 13/55 | 24% (13–37) | 1.00** |
| Stimulation of contractions | |||||
| Total: n/n; % (95% CI) | 26/47 | 55% (40–70) | 22/39 | 56% (40–72) | 1.00** |
| Primiparous | 19/28 | 68% (48–84) | 17/21 | 81% (58–95) | 0.35** |
| Parous | 7/19 | 37% (16–62) | 5/18 | 28% (10–53) | 0.73** |
| Instrumental delivery | |||||
| No intervention: n; % (95% CI) | 41 | 68% (57–80) | 39 | 67% (55–79) | 0.78****** |
| Ventouse: n; % (95% CI) | 8 | 13% (5–22) | 8 | 14% (5–23) | |
| Caesarean section: n; % (95% CI) | 11 | 18% (9–28) | 11 | 19% (9–29) | |
| Neonatal outcome | |||||
| Apgar ≤ 7 | |||||
| 1 minute: n/n; % (95% CI) | 8/60 | 13% (6–25) | 6/58 | 10% (4–21) | 0.78** |
| 5 minutes: n/n; % (95% CI) | 1/60 | 2% (0–9) | 1/58 | 2% (0–9) | 1.00** |
| Umbilical pH value | |||||
| <7.2: n/n; % (95% CI) | 13/44 | 30% (17–45) | 15/48 | 31% (19–46) | 1.00** |
| <7.1: n/n; % (95% CI) | 2/44 | 5% (1–16) | 3/48 | 6% (1–17) | 1.00** |
*
The difference between the total numbers of inclusions in the AG and CG (62 and 63 respectively) and the numbers analysed in each of the two groups reflect inconsistencies in reporting.
**
Two-sided Fisher’s exact test (intention-to-treat principle).
***
Includes all women who had not yet undergone delivery, including women in active labour.
****
Two-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum test.
*****
Two-sample t test.
******
Pearson’s chi-square test.