Complementary and alternative therapies in perinatal populations: a selected review of the current literature

Complementary and alternative therapies have been accepted and used in perinatal nursing and midwifery practice for decades. Many authors describe a need for scientific scrutiny of these modalities to determine their efficacy and usefulness in patient care and to create some comparability among studies. The article presents a selective review of the current and readily available English literature about complementary and alternative therapies in perinatal care. Although there is a substantial amount of information published about these modalities in perinatal care, much of it is anecdotal. With the advent of definitions, descriptions, and funding in the United States and abroad, it is likely that additional research of improved design and comparability will be forthcoming.