Fifty-six primigravid women at 39 weeks or greater with a singleton gestation and Bishop score (a system for predicting whether induction of labour will be required) of less than seven were randomised to usual medical care or usual care plus three acupuncture treatments. Each treatment consisted of eight needles applied bilaterally to Hegu L.I.-4, Sanyinjiao SP-6, Shangliao BL-31 and Ciliao BL-32. Mean time from randomisation to delivery occurred 21 hours sooner in the acupuncture group, but this difference did not reach statistical significance. Compared with controls, women in the acupuncture group tended to be more likely to labour spontaneously and less likely to deliver by Caesarean section. (A randomized controlled trial of acupuncture for initiation of labor in nulliparous women. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2006 Aug;19(8):465-70).
Quelle: www.jcm.co.uk