Kiwi mums escape to virtual beaches during labour

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-06-13 04:00

New Zealand

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A New Zealand study finds that virtual reality can significantly reduce pain and anxiety for women during labour. Nineteen new mothers were given headsets allowing them to "escape" to beaches, safaris or underwater dolphin scenes. They reported it was an effective distraction from their contractions, but drawbacks were the weight of the headset and feeling disconnected from their support people. However, almost all of the women said they would use it again and would recommend it to others.