A Brazilian group has shown that electro-acupuncture (EA) can be used to promote labour as efficiently as the prostaglandin analogue misoprostol, but with fewer obstetric complications. Sixty-seven pregnant women in labour were randomised to receive either EA or misoprostol. Labour was initiated in both groups without significant difference regarding frequency of, or time to, induction. Women who received EA experienced significantly fewer obstetric complications, along with a significantly higher frequency of vaginal deliveries. Although they tended to have a longer duration of labour, there was also a tendency to higher patient satisfaction among patients of the EA group. (Electroacupuncture for cervical ripening prior to labor induction: a randomized clinical trial. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2011 Jun;283(6):1233-8).
Categories: Pregnancy labour