Acupuncture Research

WOMEN'S HEALTH

Acupuncture for Depression During Pregnancy

Sixty-one pregnant women with major depressive disorder were randomly assigned to one of three treatments over an eight week period.

Twenty women received active acupuncture, twenty-one received active control acupuncture, and twenty received massage. Acupuncture treatments were standardized, but individually tailored, and were provided in a double-blind fashion.

The response rates at the end of the acute phase were statistically significantly higher for the group that received active acupuncture (69%) than for the women who received massage (32%), with an intermediate response rate (47%).

The active acupuncture group also showed a significantly higher average rate of reduction in BDI scores from baseline to the end of the first month of treatment than the massage group.

In conclusion, acupuncture holds promise for the treatment of depression during pregnancy.

Manber R, et al. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University. 401, Quarry Rd., Stanford, CA 94305, United States.