Study	Reason for exclusion
Browning 2000	In this trial 11, women attending childbirth education classes volunteered to participate in a trial examining the effect of music during labour. The participants were randomly assigned to receive music use and labour support or labour support alone (control group) during labour. The participants selected the music; they were instructed to listen to some music daily during their pregnancy and to play the music during labour. The paper reports on a qualitative analysis of interviews conducted with the participants within 72 hours of delivery. The manuscript does not report on any clinical outcomes described in this review.
Buxton 1973	In this trial of maternal respiration in labour, no clinically meaningful data were reported. Data were reported on respiratory outcomes.
Durham 1986	In this randomised trial of music, there were no data that could be used for analysis.
Field 1997	In this randomised controlled trial of massage, the data were not in a form suitable for analysis.
Geden 1989	This paper reported on two studies that examined the effects of music on analogued labour pain; the first involving music, the second using a combination of imagery and music. Twenty women were included in this study which was undertaken in the United States. This study was not conducted on women during labour and therefore did not meet the inclusion criteria for this review.
Li 1996	This trial evaluated the effect of two acupuncture points on the strength and timing of uterine contractions following acupuncture. It did not report on any primary outcomes relevant to this review by study group.
Phumdoung 2003	The data were not in a suitable form for analysis and clarification could not be obtained from the author.
Sammons 1984	This trial randomised 30 women to a non‐music control group and 24 to a music group. The study did not report on any clinical outcomes specified in the review.
Shalev 1991	Twenty‐five women recruited during labour at a maternity hospital in Israel. Thirteen women randomised to receive electroacupuncture and 12 women received no analgesia at the start of the active phase of labour (cervical dilatation 4 cm, effacement 60%). The study reported on beta endorphin levels and did not report on any measures relevant to this review.
Shang 1995	In this trial of 161 women, the effect of acupuncture on Hegu point was examined in relation to the length of the second stage of labour and the amount of postpartum bleeding. The study was excluded as it did not examine the effect on pain relief.
Ternov 1998	We were unable to establish the study design quasi‐random or a controlled clinical trial.