Pregnancy

Conclusions: In light of the findings, "acupuncture can be considered an effective non-pharmacological treatment option for women who experience nausea and dry retching and should be promoted and offered to women"

SOURCE: Birth 2002;29.

Conclusions: The short acupuncture protocol demonstrated symptom reduction and a response rate comparable to those observed in standard depression treatments of similar length and could be a viable treatment option for depression during pregnancy.

Manber R, et al, Obstet Gynecol. 2010; 115 (3): 511-20

Conclusions: Acupuncture at points LI4 and SP 6 supports cervical ripening at term and can shorten the time interval between the EDC and the actual time of delivery.

Rabl M, Ahner R, Bitschnau M, Zeisler H, Husslein P., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Vienna, Austria.

KEY CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

If acupuncture treatment is acceptable to the mother, this, together with care interventions such as correction of breast feeding position and babies' attachment to the breast, might be a more expedient and less invasive choice of treatment than the use of oxytocin nasal spray. Midwives, nurses or medical practitioners with specialist competence in breast feeding should be the primary care providers for mothers with inflammatory symptoms of the breast during lactation. The use of antibiotics for inflammatory symptoms of the breast should be closely monitored in order to help the global community reduce resistance development among bacterial pathogens.

 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Floor 2, Helsingborg Hospital, Helsingborg, SE-251 87 Sweden. linda.kvist@helsingborgslasarett.se