Acupuncture for the induction of labour: a double-blind randomised controlled study

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Reproductive Health

Background:

• Post-term pregnancy, defined as beyond 41 weeks gestation, often requires labor induction.
• Acupuncture is explored as a non-pharmacological method for labor induction.
• Evidence on acupuncture's efficacy for post-term labor induction remains inconclusive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture in inducing labor for women with post-term pregnancies.
• To compare labor induction rates between acupuncture and sham acupuncture groups.

Main Methods:

• A double-blind, multicenter, randomized controlled trial was conducted.
• 125 healthy women at 41(+6) weeks gestation were randomized.
• Intervention involved acupuncture at specific points (GV20, BL67, LI4, SP6) or sham acupuncture, with evaluation after 24 hours.

Main Results:

• The primary endpoint (labor or delivery within 24 hours) was achieved by 12% in the acupuncture group and 14% in the sham acupuncture group.
• No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups (P = 0.79).
• Stratification by parity or fetal gender did not change the outcome.

Conclusions:

• Acupuncture, as applied in this study's regimen, may not be an effective method for inducing labor in post-term pregnancies at 41(+6) weeks gestation.
• Further research may be needed to explore different acupuncture protocols or patient populations.
• The findings suggest current acupuncture protocols may not offer a clinical benefit for post-term labor induction.