Mothers' heartburn eased by needles
Acupuncture can help relieve the symptoms of indigestion in pregnancy, new research suggests.
A small study involving 36 women found "significant improvements" among those treated with acupuncture.
Digestive disorders are one of the most frequent complaints in pregnancy, with up to 80pc of women reporting heartburn, pain or discomfort, regurgitation, belching and bloating.
Such symptoms tend to get worse as a pregnancy progresses, said researchers from Sao Paulo University in Brazil.
Their study, published in the journal Acupuncture In Medicine, included women aged 15 to 39 who were 15 to 30 weeks into their pregnancy.
Remedies
All were suffering from symptoms of indigestion and none had tried acupuncture in the previous year.
The women were split into two groups -- with one group receiving acupuncture and the other receiving conventional treatment, including counselling on dietary changes and indigestion remedies.
The acupuncture group underwent treatment once a week, or twice a week if necessary, over an eight-week period.
The study found that average heartburn intensity fell by at least a half in 15 out of 20 (75pc) women receiving acupuncture compared with seven out of 16 (44pc) women not receiving it.
The authors said: "Acupunc-ture proved to exert a great influence in minimising the heartburn in pregnancy during treatment."
They called for more research among a larger group.
hnews@herald.ie
- Jane Kirby
