Acupuncture increases spontaneous onset of labour before induction

Acupuncture increases spontaneous onset of labour before induction

Acupuncture administered before scheduled induction of labour can significantly increase spontaneous labour onset without affecting delivery outcomes or safety, suggesting it could be a viable strategy for reducing medical labour inductions. The study, which was carried out in Spain, included 212 participants with cephalic-presentation, singleton pregnancies who were scheduled for induction of labour. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group, which received acupuncture sessions for a maximum of four days before their scheduled induction date, or a control group, which received no specific pre-labour intervention. The primary outcome was the proportion of women admitted for spontaneous labour onset or premature rupture of membranes (PROM) before or on their scheduled induction date. The results showed that 65.1% of women in the acupuncture group were admitted for spontaneous labour or PROM, compared with 39.6% in the control group. Women in the acupuncture group were admitted an average of 1.25 days before their scheduled induction date, compared to 0.67 days for the control group. The median time from recruitment to hospitalisation was also shorter for the acupuncture group (4.48 days vs 5.33 days). However, no significant differences were observed between the groups in time from admission to delivery, Caesarean delivery rates or maternal and neonatal outcomes. (Acupuncture before planned admission for induction of labor (ACUPUNT study): a randomized controlled trial. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2024 Oct;6(10):101477).

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39218395/