Acupuncture for Breech Baby

Acupuncture and moxabustion has been used for centuries in TCM to help babies find an optimal position for birth and to turn breech, posterior and tranverse presentations.

In 2017 moxabustion and acupuncture were added to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) Green-top Guidelines for ECV and Reducing the Incidence of Term Breech Presentation. The guidelines cite several studies showing that this treatment can increase the number of cephalic babies at term and reduce the need for cesarean sections.

When should treatment for repositioning breech presentation begin?

Ideally from 32 to 35 weeks of gestation or after 41 weeks of gestation to induce delivery.

 What does the treatment involve?

Treatment involves the use of a moxa stick close to the acupuncture point on the little toes for up to 10 minutes in one session. This treatment may have to be repeated twice a day for up to 10 days. After the initial session you will be given detailed instructions on the correction application of moxa together with a couple of moxa sticks for you or your partner to continue application it at home.

How does Moxa work?

This is understood to work by stimulating the tone of the uterine muscle, encouraging the baby to become more active and find the head down position.

References:

Cardini F, Weixin H. Moxibustion for correction of breech presentation. JAMA 1998; 280:1580-1584

RCOG's Green-top Guideline for External Cephalic Version and Reducing the Incidence of Term Breech Presentation.

https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1471-0528.14466

van den Berg I, Kaandorp GC, Bosch JL, Duvekot JJ, Arends LR, Hunink MG. Cost-effectiveness of breech version by acupuncture-type interventions on BL 67, including moxibustion, for women with a breech foetus at 33 weeks gestation: a modelling approach. Complement Ther Med. 2010 Apr;18(2):67-77. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2010.01.003. Epub 2010 Feb 7. PMID: 20430289.