Faith and nature: could a plant and a prayer soothe childbirth?
NCT ID NCT07175337
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether spiritual support using the Virgin Mary's Hand plant and reciting Surah Maryam could reduce pain and anxiety during labor. 125 Muslim women in early active labor were given either the plant or the surah alongside routine care. Researchers measured pain, worry, and birth satisfaction to see if these comforting practices made a difference.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- spiritual support (Maryam plant and Surah Maryam recitation)
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this could offer a low-cost, non-drug way to reduce pain and anxiety during childbirth.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed trial with no phase, so results may not apply broadly. The interventions are culturally specific and may not work for everyone.
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
-
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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125 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Sep 2023
- Finished
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Aug 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 45 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: * • Being literate * Being open to communication * Being at term (37-40 weeks) * Having a single, live fetus * Having no pregnancy complications * Having no conditions preventing labor * Having 4-6 cm cervical dilation (early active phase) * Planning a vaginal birth * Not having a diagnosed psychiatric illness * Volunteering to participate in the study * Being in cephalic presentation * Being Muslim Exclusion Criteria: * Being illiterate * Having a high-risk pregnancy * Having a planned cesarean section * Developing complications during labor * Using pain-reducing methods such as narcotic analgesics or sedatives * Having a diagnosed psychiatric illness
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
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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Ataturk Universty
Erzurum, Yakutiye, 25240, Turkey (Türkiye)
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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