Acupuncture effective for Breech presentation

ACUPUNCTURE EFFECTIVE FOR BREECH PRESENTATION
A simple single-point acupuncture treatment has long been used for turning babies in breech presentation in the later stages of pregnancy. If the outcome is successful it may help avoid a difficult, prolonged or painful labour which might give rise to complications and/or necessitate a caesarean section. Now a review of nine studies into this treatment has concluded that acupuncture treatment is twice as successful in turning babies as standard treatment.

Details:
A systematic review from Holland has concluded that acupuncture-type interventions (moxibustion, acupuncture, or electro-acupuncture) on Zhiyin BL-67 are effective in correcting breech presentation, compared with expectant management. Of 65 citations retrieved from various databases, six RCT's (Randomised Controlled Trials) and three cohort studies fulfilled the reviewers? inclusion criteria. In the RCT's the pooled proportion of breech presentations was 34% following treatment versus 66% in the control group. The pooled proportion in the cohort studies was 15% versus 36%. Including all studies, the proportion of breech presentations was 28% following treatment versus 56% for the control group.

Citation:
Effectiveness of acupuncture-type interventions versus expectant management to correct breech presentation: a systematic review.
Complement Ther Med. 2008 Apr; 16 (2): 92-100.

Comment:
Well, it is no surprise to myself or anyone else trained in Chinese Medicine (CM).... clearly we Westerners still need to prove things ourselves instead of trusting in the 2500+ years of clinical evidence from China... :doh:
However, that isn't the whole story. Sometimes, even with the acu-moxa therapy, that baby just doesn't want to turn.
And that is the reality that some women (and most WM practitoners) need to face. There is also in CM an understanding of the wisdom of leaving things alone - the Daoist monks coined the phrase wei wu wei: "action through non-action". Basically if after acu-moxa the baby hasn't turned, then there is a reason for that; and those reasons can be many including short-cord, etc.
I say this so that pregnant women don't think that CM is some cure-all for 'disharmonies' in pregnancy. Sometimes, that baby wants to come out backwards - in which case it should be allowed to. There are Midwives (and maybe some Obstetricians) who are skilled and confident enough to assist in a breech birth. And the usual wisdom there is "leave it alone", as touching the baby will stimulate certain instinctual reflexes that lead to the baby attempting to take a breath - not a good thing when its head is still in the birth canal.
So if moxa hasn't worked, please don't then think that CM is a crock. And if your Ob has told you that you need a C-section because breech babies die, you can get a second opinion. I know there are Obstetricians and Midwives out there with the knowledge, skill, and experience in dealing with normal, vaginal breech presentation births - its up to you to find out about all the options available to you!