A study published by Stanford University in the March 2010 edition of the Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, showed that acupuncture specific to depression helped relieve symptoms in woman who were 12 to 30 weeks pregnant. 150 woman participated in the study. According to the article "To be included, participants had to be between 12 and 30 weeks of gestation, 18 years or older, meet criteria for major depressive disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition, Text Revision) (DSM-IV-TR), determined by the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV, and score at least 14 on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression."

These 150 women were divided into three groups, where 52 were given acupuncture specific to relieving depression, 49 were given general acupuncture treatment and 49 were given Swedish massage. After 12 twenty five minute sessions over eight weeks, the group receiving acupuncture specific to depression reported the largest reduction in symptoms. Interestingly all three groups reported a reduction in symptoms of depression and the biggest gains were made in the first 8 weeks. (See Figure 2)

This is good news for expecting parents who are not comfortable with pharmaceutical remedies. This concern is legitimate as this statement issued on August 21st 2009 from the The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists illustrates:

"Depression is common during pregnancy—between 14 percent and 23 percent of pregnant women will experience depressive symptoms while pregnant. In 2003, approximately 13 percent of women took an antidepressant at some time during their pregnancy.

Both depression symptoms and the use of antidepressant medications during pregnancy have been associated with negative consequences for the newborn. Infants born to women with depression have increased risk for irritability, less activity and attentiveness, and fewer facial expressions compared with those born to mothers without depression. Depression and its symptoms are also associated with fetal growth change and shorter gestation periods. And while available research still leaves some questions unanswered, some studies have linked fetal malformations, cardiac defects, pulmonary hypertension, and reduced birth weight to antidepressant use during pregnancy." Read full statement from ACOG and APA Depression During Pregnancy: Treatment Recommendations

Discovered at: Obstetrics and Gynecology Journal

Manber, Rachel PhD; Schnyer, Rosa N. DAOM, LAc; Lyell, Deirdre MD; Chambers, Andrea S. PhD; Caughey, Aaron B. MD, PhD; Druzin, Maurice MD; Carlyle, Erin MS; Celio, Christine MS; Gress, Jenna L. BA; Huang, Mary I. MS; Kalista, Tasha MA; Martin-Okada, Robin BS; Allen, John J. B. PhD

From the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California; the University of Texas, Austin, Texas; the University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; and the University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.