Acupuncture can correct a breech presentation

A systematic review of studies that assessed the effectiveness of acupuncture-type interventions (moxibustion, acupuncture, or electro-acupuncture) on acupuncture point BL 67 to correct breech presentation compared to expectant management.

Six randomised controlled trials and three cohort studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. In the former, the pooled proportion of breech presentations was 34% following treatment versus 66% in the control group (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.11-0.58).

The pooled proportion in the cohort studies was 15% versus 36% (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.19-0.43).

The reviewers concluded that their results suggest that acupuncture-type interventions on BL 67 are effective in correcting breech presentation compared to expectant management.

Reference

van den Berg I et al. (2008) Effectiveness of acupuncture-type interventions versus expectant management to correct breech presentation: a systematic review. Complement Ther Med; 16:92-100.