Abstract: Introduction: Labour is associated with intense pain, affecting a woman’s emotional and physical well-being. Effective pain management improves comfort and birth outcomes. While intravenous paracetamol (PCM) is commonly used, non-pharmacological methods like Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) are gaining popularity. This study compares the analgesic efficacy of intravenous PCM versus TENS during active labour.
Aims and Objectives: To compare the pain relief offered by intravenous PCM and TENS in active labour and assess their impact on maternal outcomes, labour progression, and neonatal health.
Materials and Methods: This prospective study, conducted from October 2022 to August 2024 at Subharti Medical College, enrolled 300 women in active labour, randomized into three groups: PCM (Group A), TENS (Group B), and control (Group C, no analgesia). Pain levels were assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at baseline, 1 hour, and 3 hours post-intervention. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were monitored. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test (p<0.05).
Results: Demographic characteristics were comparable across groups, with 56.3% of participants aged 18-27 years. TENS provided significantly better pain relief than PCM and placebo (p = 0.03). TENS was associated with a higher rate of normal vaginal deliveries (80%) compared to PCM (75%). No significant differences were observed in neonatal outcomes or maternal complications (p > 0.36).
Conclusion: TENS demonstrated superior pain relief and facilitated more normal vaginal deliveries compared to intravenous PCM. Both methods were safe, with no significant impact on maternal or neonatal outcomes. TENS is recommended as a cost-effective, non-pharmacological alternative for labour analgesia.
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