Faculty of Health and Human Sciences, Thames Valley University, Paragon House, Boston Manor Road, Brentford TW8 9GA, UK.
Midwifery. 2009 Dec;25(6):774-80. doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2008.08.003. Epub 2009 Oct 22.
to explore the effects of moxibustion treatment, to examine the predictors of its use in causing a breech presentation to spontaneously turn to a cephalic presentation which will result in a vaginal birth (the paper will refer to this as 'successful') and offer external cephalic version (ECV) subsequently after moxibustion treatment when the fetus remains in a breech presentation.
a prospective study over a two-year time period from February 2004 until January 2006.
76 pregnant women from various acupuncture practices in the UK, with a third trimester breech presentation.
the acupuncturist taught the women how to apply moxibustion (sticks of compressed dried herbs-Artemisia vulgaris) treatment at home by stimulating the acupoint on the outer edge at the base of the little toe nail for seven days twice a day (morning and afternoon). If the breech presentation persisted after treatment, ECV was carried out towards the end of the pregnancy. The obstetricians offered this during the routine antenatal hospital visits.
the results show that following treatment with moxibustion, 31 (40.8%) of the breech presentations spontaneously turned to cephalic presentations, and a further 33 (43.4%) breech presentations were turned by ECV. Women who involved other people in the administration of moxibustion were twice as likely to be successful. Multiparous women were also 16% more likely than primiparous women to succeed in achieving a spontaneous version with the use of moxibustion. Fewer side effects reported when using moxibustion were the strongest predictor of successful spontaneous cephalic version with an odds ratio of 12% (p = 0.02).
moxibustion creates a better chance of vaginal birth for expectant mothers. Of the women who were successful in turning their babies using moxibustion, 88% went on to have a normal birth and 12% had a caesarean section. Moxibustion treatment also significantly increases version from a breech presentation to a cephalic presentation where there are fewer side effects reported, if the woman is multiparous and has support during the administration of moxibustion treatment.
moxibustion treatment should be offered to all women with a breech presentation because it is non-invasive and can be self-administered by the woman. It is therefore a simple, cost-effective technique that requires no medical intervention.
探讨艾灸治疗的效果，研究其用于引起臀位自然转为头位从而经阴道分娩（本文将此称为“成功”）的预测因素，并在艾灸治疗后胎儿仍为臀位时提供外倒转术（ECV）。
2004 年 2 月至 2006 年 1 月期间进行的为期两年的前瞻性研究。
来自英国不同针灸诊所的 76 名处于孕晚期的臀位孕妇。
针灸师通过在小脚趾甲外侧的穴位上进行艾灸（压缩干草药艾蒿）治疗，教孕妇在家中自行进行治疗，每天两次（上午和下午），持续七天。如果治疗后臀位仍然存在，在妊娠晚期进行 ECV。产科医生在常规产前医院就诊时提供此项服务。
结果表明，在接受艾灸治疗后，31 例（40.8%）臀位自然转为头位，另有 33 例（43.4%）臀位通过 ECV 转为头位。参与艾灸治疗的其他人的孕妇成功的可能性是其他人的两倍。经产妇比初产妇更有可能成功地使用艾灸自然转为头位，可能性增加 16%。使用艾灸时报告的副作用较少是成功自然转为头位的最强预测因素，优势比为 12%（p = 0.02）。
艾灸为孕妇创造了更好的阴道分娩机会。在使用艾灸成功转位的孕妇中，88%继续正常分娩，12%行剖宫产。如果孕妇是经产妇并且在接受艾灸治疗时有支持，艾灸治疗也能显著增加从臀位转为头位的可能性，且报告的副作用较少。
对于臀位孕妇，应提供艾灸治疗，因为它是非侵入性的，且可以由孕妇自行进行。因此，这是一种简单、具有成本效益的技术，不需要医疗干预。
