An interventional study of Labor dance in Labor Pain, sponsored by Medipol University. Completed at 7 sites in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to female participants aged 18 Years to 35 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-07.
Sponsored by Medipol University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effect of labor dance on labor pain in primiparous women. Primiparous women admitted for vaginal birth to seven hospitals of a university affiliated private hospital group in Istanbul, Turkiye, were randomly assigned to a labor dance group or a routine care group. Women in the dance group danced to music of their choice at 30 minute intervals from 4 cm cervical dilatation until full dilatation, using movements intended to widen the pelvic diameters, in addition to routine intrapartum care. Labor pain was measured with a Visual Analogue Scale at 4 cm dilatation and repeatedly until full dilatation. Cervical dilatation and the duration of the active phase of labor were recorded.
The study was approved by the Istanbul Medipol University Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee on 13 November 2019 (decision no. 966). Because recruitment at the single initial center was slow during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, an amendment approved on 20 July 2020 extended the study to six additional hospitals of the same group. Allocation followed a computer generated simple randomization list (random.org).
409 studies on the registry are indexed under Labor Pain; 69 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 60 is below the median of 100 across 336 interventional studies indexed under Labor Pain.
Browse Labor Pain studies →Medipol University is the lead sponsor of 320 studies on the registry; 87 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Women were taught the dance movements after admission. From 4 cm cervical dilatation until full dilatation, they danced to self selected music every 30 minutes, repeating each chosen movement for one minute, in addition to routine intrapartum care.
Behavioral: Labor dance
Routine intrapartum care of the hospital only. Pain and cervical dilatation were assessed at the same time points as in the intervention group.
Warm up and stretching movements followed by movements intended to widen the pelvic diameters: pelvic tilt, small squat, squat, wide leg squat, clockwise and counterclockwise hip circles, sliding, and right and left leg forward hip rotation, performed to music chosen by the woman. Sessions were repeated every 30 minutes from 4 cm cervical dilatation until full dilatation, and each chosen movement was repeated for one minute.
Labor pain intensity
Pain intensity measured with a Visual Analogue Scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (unbearable pain). Higher scores indicate more severe pain.
Time frame: At 4 cm cervical dilatation (baseline) and at the end of each hour until full cervical dilatation, up to 4 hours
Time to full cervical dilatation
Time from 4 cm to 10 cm cervical dilatation, in hours, assessed by hourly vaginal examination.
Time frame: Assessed at the end of each hour from 4 cm cervical dilatation until full cervical dilatation, up to 4 hours
Duration of the active phase of labor
Duration of the active phase of labor, in minutes.
Time frame: From 4 cm cervical dilatation until birth
Plan to share: Yes — Deidentified individual participant data underlying the published results will be available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Time frame: Beginning with publication of the main results and for five years thereafter.
Access criteria: Researchers who submit a methodologically sound proposal to the corresponding author. Data will be shared under a data use agreement.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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