Acupuncture can effectively treat the depression experienced by many pregnant women, researchers reported last night.
A trial of acupuncture found it significantly helped two thirds of women.
Doctors said the finding offered hope to women who find pregnancy hard to cope with – as taking anti-depressant drugs during pregnancy is seen as risky.
Some 150 women took part in the study reported in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. Most had previously said they were reluctant to take medicine for depression.
A third were given the correct acupuncture for depression and a third were given massage treatment. The other third were given false acupuncture, which used the wrong pressure points for the needles.
The researchers found the mental health of 44 per cent of the women who did not receive correct acupuncture improved as a result of receiving treatment. This compared with 63 per cent of the acupuncture patients – equivalent to about ten additional women being helped.
Researcher Dr Deirdre Lyell, of Stanford University, California, USA, said "rigorous methodology" had been used to demonstrate that acupuncture worked.
She said: "I don’t think that one-size-fits-all treatments are appropriate for everyone, but acupuncture should be considered as an option. Traditional acupuncture was associated with a significant improvement in depression."
Fellow researcher Professor Rachel Manber said: "Because there’s this concern about medication among pregnant women and their physicians, it’s important to find an alternative."
Obstetrics & Gynecology March 2010
Leave a Reply