The influence of maternal hypnosis on fetal movements in anxious pregnant women

The influence of maternal hypnotherapy on fetal body movements in anxious parturients was studied in 25 patients at 35-37 weeks of gestation. There were two groups of patients. Group A consisted of 16 parturients who performed self-hypnosis. Group B consisted of 9 parturients in whom hypnosis was induced by a physician. When compared to a control period of 30 min there was a significant increase in the duration of fetal body movements recorded by ultrasound during 30 min of maternal hypnosis, p less than 0.005 for group A and p less than 0.01 for group B. It is suggested that in anxious parturients fetuses move into a more active state when maternal relaxation is achieved by hypnotherapy.