• Lena Mårtensson and Gunnar Wallin.
• School of Life Sciences, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden.
• Birth. 2006 Dec 1;33(4):289-96.

BackgroundAcupuncture and sterile water injections are nonpharmacological pain relief methods used for labor pain in Swedish delivery wards. Their use has changed over time, the reasons for which are unclear, and acupuncture is currently in more common use than sterile water injections. The aim of this study was to elucidate the clinical use of acupuncture and sterile water injections as pain relief and relaxation during childbirth in Sweden.MethodsTwelve hundred questionnaires were sent out to all delivery wards in Sweden. Nine hundred sixty midwives fulfilled the inclusion criteria, and the response rate was 565 (59%).ResultsAcupuncture was used for both pain relief and relaxation, whereas sterile water injections were used almost exclusively for pain relief. The midwives' own choice of pain relief during childbirth for a possible future delivery was similar to their choice of method in clinical practice.ConclusionsOur study shows that acupuncture was used for both pain relief and relaxation, whereas sterile water injections were used almost exclusively for pain relief. The results also indicate a weakness in midwives' awareness and use of scientific knowledge and general recommendations about these methods.

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