Breech Pregnancy Turned With Acupuncture And Moxibustion
Up to 25% of babies during a pregnancy will be in a breech position, but by 34 weeks most fetuses turn into a head-down, or vertex, position on their own. This is the normal and safest fetal position for birth. Delivering a baby in a breech position involves several risks to the infant. Most obstetricians today therefore will opt to perform a caesarean section if the fetus has not turned on its own.
Moxibustion, the burning of the herb mugwort over an acupuncture point, in this case Bl-67 on the little toe, has been shown to be very effective to turn the fetus. The treatment appears to stimulate hormones that cause the uterus to contract. This causes the fetus to move. Studies in China claim a success rate of 80 to 90% in correcting the breech position with this acupuncture technique. Women should be closely monitored by their midwife or obstetrician during this process. Excessive treatment could over-correct and bring the fetus back into breech.
The main advantage of this approach is that it is non-invasive, has no side-effects, and is pain-free. The moxibustion treatment is often used in conjunction with acupuncture. In this case the practitioner will insert a small, sterile, acupuncture needle into the acupuncture point BL 67, and whilst the needle is still in place the point is warmed with the burning mugwort herbal stick.
