Moxibustion for Breech Baby

 

It can be worrying to find out that baby is in a breech position and using moxa to help encourage your baby to turn is a lovely non-invasive way to encourage them into an optimal position. Week 34 is the ideal time for starting moxa (or moxibustion) treatment, although if this is not your first baby it may be possible to start later. Moxibustion is the burning of the herb moxa (artemisia vulgaris) and this is done is such a way that warmth is applied to the acupuncture point Bl 67 Zhi Yin located on the outside of the little toe. Just one appointment is needed to check for contra-indications and to receive a demonstatration, safety information, full tuition and moxa supplies. You need to be prepared to repeat the procedure every day for 10 days and it can be performed even if you are also considering an External Cephalic Version (ECV)..

A Dutch study published in 2010 appears to suggest that the number of breech presentations at term could be reduced. In this study the moxa treatment is started at 33 weeks.

A Cochrane review in 2023 found moderate-certainty evidence that moxibustion plus usual care probably reduces the chance of non-cephalic presentation at birth.

References:

Coyle M.E., Smith C.A., & Peat B. (2023) Cephalic version by moxibustion for breech presentation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2023

Van den Berg, I., Kaandorp, G.C., Bosch, J.L., Duvekot, J.J., Arends, L. R. & Hunink, M. G. (2010) Cost-effectiveness of breech version by acupuncture-type interventions on BL 67, including moxibustion, for women with a breech foetus at 33 weeks gestation: a modelling approach. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 18(2):67-77.