Is acupuncture successful in turning breech babies into the head down position?
Acupuncture has been used successfully to turn breech babies. I have seen two well controlled research studies supporting its use. They found that acupuncture can successfully turn up to 70% of breech babies. Treatment can be commenced as early as 32 weeks. The most common treatments used by acupuncturists are moxibustion alone or moxibustion in combination with acupuncture. Moxibustion is a method of applying heat to an acupuncture point using a cigar-like stick of the dried herb moxa (Fursland, 1992). The acupuncture point used to turn breech babies is located just near the little toe. If choosing this method it is important to consult a qualified acupuncturist.
