Effect of acupuncture on nausea of pregnancy: A randomized, controlled trial

Objective: To compare acupuncture with sham (placebo) acupuncture for treatment of nausea of pregnancy. Methods: In a subject- and observer-masked, randomized, controlled trial in the maternity unit at Exeter Hospital, we gave 55 women between 6 and 10 weeks' gestation genuine, traditional-style acupuncture or sham treatment with a cocktail stick on three or four occasions over 3 weeks. The main outcome measure was nausea score, as determined by subject report on a visual analogue scale in a daily diary. Anxiety and depression also were assessed. Results: Nausea scores decreased from a median of 85.5 (interquartile range 71.25-89.75) to 47.5 (interquartile range 29.25-69.5) in the acupuncture group and from 87.0 (interquartile range 73.0-90.0) to 48.0 (interquartile range 14.0-80.0) in the sham treatment group. There was strong evidence of a time effect (P < .001) but no evidence of a group effect (P = .9) or a group-time interaction (P = .8). Similarly, there was evidence of time effects in scores for anxiety and depression but no group differences. The study had a power of 95% to detect significant differences in nausea scores. Conclusion: Acupuncture was as effective in treating nausea of pregnancy as a sham procedure. (Obstet Gynecol 2001;97:184-8. (C) 2001 by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.).