Researchers from the China Meitan General Hospital have found that acupuncture, the procedure of inserting needles at specific points on the body, can help in the delivery process by speeding it up. The researchers also added that the procedure was safe for the mom and the baby.
“EA (electroacupuncture) at Sanyinjiao (acupoint SP6) can shorten the duration of the active phase of the 1st labor stage,” noted the researchers.
For the study, a total of 111 women were randomly divided into three groups. One was the non-treatment group, the other was the electroacupuncture at SP6 group, and the last one was the sham acupuncture group.
The sham acupuncture group received stimulation at SP6 with an acupuncture needle guide tube and an acupuncture needle remained at the acupoint using an adhesive plaster.
Blood pressure and heart rate for both mother and the baby were recorded during the procedure and during labor.
The team found that the vitals of both the mother and the child did not show any variations. Also, during the electroacupuncture procedure, no additional bleeding occurred. This procedure only shortened the active and the passive phase of the first stage of labor.
The researchers thus concluded that acupuncture could aid doctors in speeding the labor process and this may especially be useful when the mom or the baby suffers from a critical complication.
