Squeeze away stress: simple ball eases pregnancy test anxiety

This study tested whether using a simple stress ball could help pregnant women feel less anxious and more comfortable during a routine fetal heart rate test (called a non-stress test or NST). Researchers wanted to see if this easy, non-drug method could improve the test experience and potentially lead to more accurate results by reducing stress. The trial involved 70 pregnant women who were randomly assigned to either use a stress ball or not during their NST appointment.