Acupuncture and Depression in Pregnancy

Acupuncture may help improve depressive symptoms during pregnancy.
The Wall Street Journal (2/23, D3, Wang) reports that, according to a study published Feb. 22 in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, acupuncture appears to improve depressive symptoms in expectant mothers. For the study, Stanford University researchers randomized 150 depressed pregnant women to receive acupuncture specifically intended to treat depression, general acupuncture, or massage therapy. After eight weeks, the investigators found that 63% of the pregnant women who received acupuncture specifically to treat depression had fewer depressive symptoms.
Specifically, "the study found that women treated with depression-specific acupuncture had a 63 percent response rate compared to a 44 percent response rate in women treated with control acupuncture or massage," HealthDay (2/22, Gordon) reported.