Design
Randomized controlled trial.
Setting
This study was conducted at Qasr al-Aini, Cairo University maternity hospitals, at labor and delivery unit.
Sample
One hundred parturient women were recruited randomly and allocated to the study and the control groups, fifty
for each. The inclusion criteria were primigravida, nulliparous women, read and write, age between 18 to 35
years, gestational age between 37 to 41 weeks, single fetus, cephalic presentation, and on the active phase of
labor (3 cm dilatation). Women with chronic diseases, dermatologic disorders, history of any complications
during pregnancy and received pain killer medications were excluded. The sample size has been determined
based on the daily numbers of admission into the labor and delivery unit.