Effectiveness of the peanut ball use for women with epidural analgesia in labour: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate, using the best level of evidence, the possible benefits and advantages of using peanut ball (PB) in women with an epidural during labour on the maternal and neonatal outcomes. This research was conducted using MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, LILACS, CINAHL, CENTRAL, PEDro, Web of Science and SCOPUS databases, with no period or language restrictions. The terms ‘labor’ and ‘peanut ball’ were used. Clinical trials (randomised and non-randomised) were included when comparing a group of parturients using PB with a control group under usual care. Randomised clinical trials (RCTs) or quasi-randomised were eligible for this systematic review. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data and assessed the quality of evidence which was evaluated by the GRADE system. Quantitative analysis through meta-analysis was also applied whenever possible. In this updated review, we included four studies with a total of 818 women in labour after the use of pharmacological analgesia. Our GRADE ratings of evidence ranged from high to low quality. Overall, the included studies varied in their risk of bias, in which most were considered with some concerns. There is high evidence that the use of PB after epidural analgesia reduces the duration of the first period of labour by 87 minutes and moderate evidence that it increases the chance of vaginal delivery 11%. However, there is no evidence about other maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Impact Statement

• What is already known on this subject? The peanut ball (PB) is used after the use of pharmacological analgesia, as it favours the opening of the pelvic canal and helps women to adopt more comfortable postures, but its real effects are not clear.

• What do the results of this study add? Our results suggest that using the PB reduces the duration of the first period of labour after an epidural and increases the chance of a vaginal birth.

• What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? These findings recommend the use of a PB after an epidural and further research with women without the use of pharmacological analgesia.

Keywords:

• Exercise therapy
• parturition
• labour pain
• obstetrics
• physical therapy modalities

Author contributions

Delgado and Melo performed the searches for the articles and wrote the manuscript. Lemos, Amorim and Katz supervised and coordinated the entire scientific project of this systematic review.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

We would like to thank you the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) for the scholarship granted to Alexandre Delgado.