An interventional study of Slow and deep breathing in Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension, sponsored by Bournemouth University. Terminated at 2 sites in United Kingdom. Open to female participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-09-19.
Sponsored by Bournemouth University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This study evaluates the effect of slow and deep breathing on lowering blood pressure in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension. Slow and deep breathing will be practised daily for 10 minutes from enrolment until the woman gives birth. This feasibility study aims to investigate the practicality of conducting a proposed future randomised controlled trial.
In addition to the slow and deep breathing intervention the women will undertake a short protocol investigating the physiological responses to slow and deep breathing during their initial meeting. The women will undertake 4 separate 5-min breathing exercises with a 5 minute rest period between each exercise. The breathing exercises are normal breathing, and fixed breathing frequencies of 4, 6 and 8 breaths per minute. Blood pressure, heart rate and breathing rate will be monitored continuously, and non-invasively, throughout each breathing protocol.
The women will also have the opportunity to provide feedback on the intervention and their experiences in an online survey at 36 weeks gestation.
240 studies on the registry are indexed under Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced; 66 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 1 is below the median of 144 across 163 interventional studies indexed under Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced.
Browse Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced studies →Bournemouth University is the lead sponsor of 52 studies on the registry; 10 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
Daily practice of slow and deep breathing for 10 minutes per day. Breathing frequency will be 6 breaths per minute, with participants accessing a video aid to help guide their breathing. Breathing exercises will be conducted from enrolment until birth (maximum \~20 weeks if enrolment at 20 weeks gestation until \~40 weeks gestation birth)
Other: Slow and deep breathing
Please see arm description
Adherence to the breathing exercise intervention
Proportion of days breathing exercise completed per participant and average proportion of days breathing exercise completed
Time frame: Up to 22 weeks (From enrolment to giving birth)
Proportion of women referred to obstetric-led care
Referral to obstetric-led care will be on the grounds of a test result of 30 mg/mmol\^1 in a spot urinary protein, symptom exacerbation and/or increase in systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure
Time frame: Up to 22 weeks (From enrolment to giving birth)
Proportion of women eligible to participate in study
Proportion of women eligible to participate in the study (using inclusion and exclusion criteria) against number of women who attend the antenatal unit for high blood pressure
Time frame: 5 months (From start to end of recruitment period)
Recruitment rates of participation using a hospital antenatal unit
Proportion of women participating in the study against number of eligible women who attend the antenatal unit
Time frame: 5 months (From start to end of recruitment period)
Proportion of women who would be willing to be randomised in future trials
Proportion of women who would be willing to be randomised in a future trial (asked in post-questionnaire) against those who would not be willing to be randomised
Time frame: Between gestational age 36 weeks and birth. If participant gives birth prior to 36 weeks they will be invited to participate in the questionnaire when appropriate, but before 36 weeks
Adherence to self-monitoring of daily blood pressure
Proportion of days blood pressure recorded per participant and average proportion of days blood pressure recorded
Time frame: Up to 22 weeks (From enrolment to giving birth)
Proportion of women withdrawing
Proportion of women who do not contribute data due to premature delivery, drop-out or worsening high blood pressure
Time frame: Up to 22 weeks (From enrolment to giving birth)
Difference in blood pressure
Average week 1 blood pressure compared with average last week blood pressure (last week prior to giving birth)
Time frame: Up to 22 weeks (From enrolment to giving birth)
Practicality of protocol in delivering slow and deep breathing as an intervention to treat high blood pressure during pregnancy.
Women's perceptions of the intervention, as assessed using the post-questionnaire. The questionnaire includes open ended questions on experiences and barriers to completing the intervention. Likert scale (strongly agree, agree, uncertain, disagree, strongly disagree) questions are also included.
Time frame: Between gestational age 36 weeks and birth. If participant gives birth prior to 36 weeks they will be invited to participate in the questionnaire when appropriate, but before 36 weeks
Heart rate responses to slow and deep breathing
Differences in heart rate between breathing protocols (5 minutes of breathing at 4, 6, and 8 breaths per minute and normal breathing)
Time frame: Day 1
Blood pressure responses to slow and deep breathing
Differences in blood pressure between breathing protocols (5 minutes of breathing at 4, 6, and 8 breaths per minute and normal breathing)
Time frame: Day 1
Stroke volume responses to slow and deep breathing
Differences in stroke volume between breathing protocols (5 minutes of breathing at 4, 6, and 8 breaths per minute and normal breathing)
Time frame: Day 1
Cardiac output responses to slow and deep breathing
Differences in cardiac output between breathing protocols (5 minutes of breathing at 4, 6, and 8 breaths per minute and normal breathing)
Time frame: Day 1
Plan to share: No
This study is terminated, as verified in Sep 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced→
Bournemouth University