The Effect of Touching the Fetal Head of the Pregnant on the Duration of the Second Stage of LaborTouchingNCT06783972
The Effect of Touching the Fetal Head During the Perineal Crowning Phase
A study testing Touching in people with The Effect of Touching the Fetal Head of the Pregnant on the Duration of the Second Stage of Labor, run by Ege University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
In this study, it is planned to shorten the second stage of labor by touching the fetal head during the second stage of labor. It is thought that touching will also have positive effects on the mother and the newborn. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 35 years, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- The Effect of Touching the Fetal Head of the Pregnant on the Duration of the Second Stage of Labor
- What is being tested?
- Touching
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 68 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 19 Jan 2025to 16 Apr 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 35 years
- Women only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Not to have obstetric risk,
- To be primiparous,
- To be 37W and above pregnant,
- To carry a live fetus,
- To be mentally healthy,
- To be able to communicate,
Show all 10Show fewer
- To be literate,
- To have no systemic disease,
- To not use medication for any reason,
- To have no addiction, no movement restriction
Who cannot join
- Leaving the study before it is completed
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: The Effect of Touching the Fetal Head of the Pregnant on the Duration of the Second Stage of Labor and the Mother-Baby Interaction During the Perineal Crowning Phase
In this study, it is planned to shorten the second stage of labor by touching the fetal head during the second stage of labor. It is thought that touching will also have positive effects on the mother and the newborn. The fact that touching the fetal head is a cost-free and easily applicable action is a different and strong aspect from other studies. This research study that we have planned is quite meaningful in terms of ensuring a comfortable postpartum period within the scope of mother and baby-friendly practices that our Ministry emphasizes.
- Conditions
- The Effect of Touching the Fetal Head of the Pregnant on the Duration of the Second Stage of Labor
- Being tested
- Touching
- Keywords
- midwifery, vaginal birth, touching
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
TouchingBehavioural
In the second stage of birth, when the baby's head crowns, the mother is allowed to touch the baby's head as much as she wants and with as many fingers as she wants.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | No intervention | Routine labor monitoring |
| Group 2 | Experimental | fetal head touching practice Receives: Behavioral: Touching |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Mother-Baby Interaction
The research output will be evaluated with the Mother-Infant Interaction Scale. This scale is a three-point Likert-type scale from positive to negative, aiming to determine the mother's responses, reactions and closeness to her baby in the early postpartum period. There are 5 behavioral classifications for the mother in each scale. These are grouped as; Sensitivity for the baby, Touching/holding, Eye-to-eye and face-to-face communication, Providing adequate care, Expressing feelings. In order to obtain a full score on the scale; the item that gives the best description from each of the five behavioral categories is marked. Each item in the five behavioral categories is grouped by giving "2,1,0" points. At the end of the observation, each category is scored and a total score is obtained. The scale is applied by observing the behaviors of the mother and her baby during the first contact and the 2nd day after birth. With the scores obtained, the midwife determines the
Measured: This scale was applied on the 1st and 2nd day after birth.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted20 Jan 2025
- Study start19 Jan 2025
- Primary completion16 Mar 2025
- Study completion16 Apr 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (5)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for The Effect of Touching the Fetal Head of the Pregnant on the Duration of the Second Stage of LaborStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Ege UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 68 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Ege University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Dilek Mamik Aktay, Ege University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06783972
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Ethics Committee Number 942
- Acronym
- Touching
- Status last verified
- Jan 2025
- First submitted
- 15 Jan 2025
- Last updated
- 3 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Data security
Publications
Feldman R, Singer M, Zagoory O. Touch attenuates infants' physiological reactivity to stress. Dev Sci. 2010 Mar;13(2):271-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2009.00890.x.
PubMed 20136923Goldstein P, Weissman-Fogel I, Shamay-Tsoory SG. The role of touch in regulating inter-partner physiological coupling during empathy for pain. Sci Rep. 2017 Jun 12;7(1):3252. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-03627-7.
PubMed 28607375Hertenstein MJ, Keltner D, App B, Bulleit BA, Jaskolka AR. Touch communicates distinct emotions. Emotion. 2006 Aug;6(3):528-33. doi: 10.1037/1528-3542.6.3.528.
PubMed 16938094Sehlstedt I, Ignell H, Backlund Wasling H, Ackerley R, Olausson H, Croy I. Gentle touch perception across the lifespan. Psychol Aging. 2016 Mar;31(2):176-84. doi: 10.1037/pag0000074.
PubMed 26950227Tang Y, Benusiglio D, Lefevre A, Hilfiger L, Althammer F, Bludau A, Hagiwara D, Baudon A, Darbon P, Schimmer J, Kirchner MK, Roy RK, Wang S, Eliava M, Wagner S, Oberhuber M, Conzelmann KK, Schwarz M, Stern JE, Leng G, Neumann ID, Charlet A, Grinevich V. Social touch promotes interfemale communication via activation of parvocellular oxytocin neurons. Nat Neurosci. 2020 Sep;23(9):1125-1137. doi: 10.1038/s41593-020-0674-y. Epub 2020 Jul 27.
PubMed 32719563
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 3 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of Touching the Fetal Head of the Pregnant on the Duration of the Second Stage of Labor and the Mother-Baby Interaction During the Perineal Crowning Phase
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06783972
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Touching / Ethics Committee Number 942
- Conditions
- The Effect of Touching the Fetal Head of the Pregnant on the Duration of the Second Stage of Labor
- Keywords
- midwifery, vaginal birth, touching
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 68 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Ege UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 19 Jan 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 16 Mar 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 16 Apr 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 20 Jan 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
In this study, it is planned to shorten the second stage of labor by touching the fetal head during the second stage of labor. It is thought that touching will also have positive effects on the mother and the newborn. The fact that touching the fetal head is a cost-free and easily applicable action is a different and strong aspect from other studies. This research study that we have planned is quite meaningful in terms of ensuring a comfortable postpartum period within the scope of mother and baby-friendly practices that our Ministry emphasizes.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | No intervention | –Routine labor monitoring |
| Group 2 | Experimental | Behavioral: Touchingfetal head touching practice |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 35 years
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (10 listed)
- Not to have obstetric risk,
- To be primiparous,
- To be 37W and above pregnant,
- To carry a live fetus,
- To be mentally healthy,
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Leaving the study before it is completed
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| TouchingIn the second stage of birth, when the baby's head crowns, the mother is allowed to touch the baby's head as much as she wants and with as many fingers as she wants. | Behavioural | Group 2 |
Primary outcome
Mother-Baby Interaction
Time frame: This scale was applied on the 1st and 2nd day after birth.
The research output will be evaluated with the Mother-Infant Interaction Scale. This scale is a three-point Likert-type scale from positive to negative, aiming to determine the mother's responses, reactions and closeness to her baby in the early postpartum period. There are 5 behavioral classifications for the mother in each scale. These are grouped as; Sensitivity for the baby, Touching/holding, Eye-to-eye and face-to-face communication, Providing adequate care, Expressing feelings. In order to obtain a full score on the scale; the item that gives the best description from each of the five behavioral categories is marked. Each item in the five behavioral categories is grouped by giving "2,1,0" points. At the end of the observation, each category is scored and a total score is obtained. The scale is applied by observing the behaviors of the mother and her baby during the first contact and the 2nd day after birth. With the scores obtained, the midwife determines the
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 3 Feb 2026.
- Results publication: PubMed 20136923Feldman R, Singer M, Zagoory O. Touch attenuates infants' physiological reactivity to stress. Dev Sci. 2010 Mar;13(2):271-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2009.00890.x.
- Results publication: PubMed 28607375Goldstein P, Weissman-Fogel I, Shamay-Tsoory SG. The role of touch in regulating inter-partner physiological coupling during empathy for pain. Sci Rep. 2017 Jun 12;7(1):3252. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-03627-7.
- Results publication: PubMed 16938094Hertenstein MJ, Keltner D, App B, Bulleit BA, Jaskolka AR. Touch communicates distinct emotions. Emotion. 2006 Aug;6(3):528-33. doi: 10.1037/1528-3542.6.3.528.
- Results publication: PubMed 26950227Sehlstedt I, Ignell H, Backlund Wasling H, Ackerley R, Olausson H, Croy I. Gentle touch perception across the lifespan. Psychol Aging. 2016 Mar;31(2):176-84. doi: 10.1037/pag0000074.
- Results publication: PubMed 32719563Tang Y, Benusiglio D, Lefevre A, Hilfiger L, Althammer F, Bludau A, Hagiwara D, Baudon A, Darbon P, Schimmer J, Kirchner MK, Roy RK, Wang S, Eliava M, Wagner S, Oberhuber M, Conzelmann KK, Schwarz M, Stern JE, Leng G, Neumann ID, Charlet A, Grinevich V. Social touch promotes interfemale communication via activation of parvocellular oxytocin neurons. Nat Neurosci. 2020 Sep;23(9):1125-1137. doi: 10.1038/s41593-020-0674-y. Epub 2020 Jul 27.
- Related InfoLink provided by the sponsor.
- Related InfoLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Data security
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Touching in people with The Effect of Touching the Fetal Head of the Pregnant on the Duration of the Second Stage of Labor, run by Ege University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 10 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Feb 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Mother-Baby Interaction (time frame: This scale was applied on the 1st and 2nd day after birth.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06783972, which also lists 5 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 3 Feb 2026.