Prenatal acupuncture: Effects on cervical maturation and duration of labor

Objective: In Europe, acupuncture is used primarily for analgesia during bi rth. However, acupuncture points with an emotionally balancing effect have been postulated to have a beneficial effect during prenatal preparation. We studied morphologic features and the duration of labor after acupuncture o f acupoints specified for prenatal preparation. Methods: 329 primiparas with uncomplicated pregnancies of 36 weeks' duratio n or longer underwent acupuncture of the points Ma 36, Gb 34, MP 6 and BI 6 7 at weekly intervals until delivery (mean 4.3 sessions per subject). They were compared with 325 primiparas who did not undergo acupuncture and deliv ered at our institution during the study period and 224 women who underwent nonspecific acupuncture. The Bishop score, the length of the cervix las me asured by ultrasonography), and the duration of labor were recorded. Results: The mean duration of labor in the patients receiving specific acup uncture, nonspecific acupuncture and no acupuncture was 470 +/- 190, 536 +/ - 200, and 594 +/- 241 min., respectively (p<0.002, t-test). Cervical matur ation was more pronounced in the treatment group (relative Bisop score chan ge 5.9 +/- 1.3, 4.0 +/- 0.9, and 3.6 +/- 1.0 points, respectively; p<0.0001 ). Accordingly, the cervical length change differed significantly among the groups (15.9 +/- 4.8, 9.8 +/- 3.4, and 8.9 +/- 3.3 mm, respectively). Spec ific acupuncture also was associated with a significant increase in the rat e of de novo funneling at the level of the internal os. Conclusions: These results show that specific prenatal acupuncture can caus e morphologic changes at the cervix prior to delivery. Uterine contractions appeared to be better coordinated in women who had received specific acupu ncture, leading to more efficient and shorter labor. This suggests that spe cific prenatal acupuncture should be considered for women with uncomplicate d pregnancies as they approach term.