Tapping away birth fears: new study tests EFT for expectant mothers
NCT ID NCT07000552
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also called tapping therapy, in 68 first-time pregnant women to see if it could reduce fear of childbirth, improve how they remember the birth, and boost their sense of security after delivery. The women received four weekly EFT sessions, combining acupressure tapping with cognitive techniques. The results aim to show whether this simple, non-drug approach can ease childbirth anxiety.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping therapy)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, drug-free way to help first-time mothers feel less afraid and more secure during childbirth.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study with only 68 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The therapy is complementary and not a substitute for medical care.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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68 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jan 2025
- Finished
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Nov 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 49 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Primary education level or higher * Able to speak, understand and write Turkish, * 18 years of age or older, * Residing in Konya province, * No disability for vaginal delivery, * Primigravida, * Anxiety level of 1 or higher when measured with the subjective discomfort unit scale, * Pregnant women who are at 32 weeks of gestation or above according to the last menstrual date or according to calculations made with USG data for pregnant women who do not know the last menstrual date. Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant individuals with high-risk pregnancies, * Those who have undergone infertility treatment, * Those with any fetal health problems, * Those with physical or mental illnesses, * Those with a cesarean section indication or who plan to deliver via cesarean section, * Those with chronic and/or psychiatric health issues and those who have participated in any childbirth preparation education were excluded from the study.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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KTO Karatay University
Konya, Konya, 42020, Turkey (Türkiye)
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