Moxibustion as a treatment of baby breech among pregnant women
What is Baby Breech?
Baby breech refers to a fetal position in which the baby’s buttocks or feet are positioned to come out first during delivery, instead of the head. It is estimated that 3-4% of term pregnancies are breech.
There are three types of Breech Presentation.
Frank breech: Baby’s buttocks are presenting first, with the legs flexed at the hips and extended at the knees. Complete breech: Baby’s buttocks and feet are presenting first, with the legs flexed at both the hips and knees. Footling breech: Baby’s one or both feet are presenting first.
There are multiple treatment options for breech babies. Let’s look at them one by one.
External cephalic version (ECV): External cephalic version (ECV) is a medical procedure performed during pregnancy to manually reposition a fetus from a breech position to a head-down position. During the procedure, a healthcare provider uses their hands and applies gentle pressure on the mother’s abdomen to maneuver the baby into a head-down position. Benefits: It reduces the likelihood of cesarean delivery, avoids the risks of surgery, and enables vaginal delivery. Risks: It can cause fetal distress, premature labor, and placental abruption .
Planned cesarean delivery: Planned cesarean delivery is a surgical procedure in which a baby is delivered through an incision made in the mother’s abdomen and uterus. Benefits: It eliminates the risks of vaginal breech delivery, prevents birth injuries, and ensures a safe delivery. Risks: It can cause surgical complications, such as infection, bleeding, and anesthesia-related problem.
Vaginal breech delivery: Vaginal breech delivery refers to the method of delivering a baby who is in a breech position through the birth canal.,Benefits: It avoids surgical risks and enables a natural delivery experience. Risks: It can cause cord prolapse, head entrapment, birth injuries, and lifelong disabilities.
Moxibustion as better option of treatment of breech baby.
What is moxibustion? Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese herbal therapy by placing a burning moxibustion close to particular points on the body or an acupoint. It is very popular in Mainland China, Taiwan (Republic of China), Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea.
Moxibustion is a better option for the treatment of a breech baby.
Advantages: Effectiveness: It has a reported success rate ranging from 75.4% to 84.6% Safety: There have been no significantly reported adverse events. Affordability: The entire process costs about $20 to $100, depending on the duration of treatment. Convenience: Patients can perform moxibustion at home.
Disadvantage: The burning of moxa sticks during moxibustion produces smoke and an unpleasant odor, which can be unpleasant or irritating for some individuals.
There are multiple studies available on the efficacy of moxibustion as a treatment for a breech baby. One of these studies was published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association). JAMA, November 11, 1998—Vol 280, No. 18, Pp 1580-1584).
Subjects and Methods: A randomized clinical trial was conducted with subjects who had a breech baby in their 33rd week of pregnancy. Treatment Group: 130 subjects received moxibustion treatment for two weeks. Control Group: 130 subjects received no treatment for the first two weeks, followed by external cephalic version (ECV).
Results. Treatment Group: After two weeks of moxibustion treatment (week 35), 98 out of 130 (75.4%) subjects had a cephalic version (head down) and maintained this position until birth. Control Group: At week 35, 62 out of 130 (47.7%) subjects had a cephalic version, and this remained the case until birth. Out of the 68 subjects initially in the breech position, 24 underwent ECV, and 19 of them were in the cephalic version at birth
Conclusion: Moxibustion for 1 to 2 weeks increased the likelihood of a cephalic presentation after the treatment period and at delivery.
The use of moxibustion for breech babies is also recommended in the British Journal of Midwifery. You can find more information in the article titled “Breech presentation and moxibustion: Should it be offered to improve maternal outcomes?” at the following link:
Conclusion: “Moxibustion use for women with uncomplicated pregnancies may reduce the number of breech presentations at birth, caesarean section rates, syntocinon use and instrumental births.”
How to perform moxibustion as treatment of baby breech?
First, get moxa stick in top quality. It is recommended to use a moxa stick made from highly purified moxa. This type of moxa stick produces less smoke and provides a milder heat when burned. One brand that meets these criteria is Favest moxa stick. Secondly, located acupoint BL67 and ask your husband or someone else to assist you. Have your helper burn a moxa stick and place it close to the acupoint until you feel a gentle warmth. Dosage: Perform the treatment for 15-20 minutes each day, preferably between 5-7 PM. Treatment duration: Continue the treatment for 1-2 weeks, but avoid exceeding 3 consecutive weeks.
Explore our website for more information on how to safely perform moxibustion. The link is www.favest.com/knowledge/moxibustion/
Where can I get moxa stick. Moxa sticks with the brand name “Favest” are of top quality. They are made of 3-year-aged mugwort and purified using high-quality materials, resulting in less smoke and harmful substances when burned, as well as better therapeutic effects.
You can purchase “Favest” moxa sticks from Amazon by clicking on this link. Alternatively, you can also buy them directly from our store by clicking on the link below.
Actually, moxibustion can do much more for other conditions as well. Digestive problem. Period pain (Menstrual cramps or Dysmenorrhea). Joint pain. Indigestion. Organ prolapse. Gastrointestinal issues. Infertility.
Thank you for reading!
