title: Does acupuncture used in nulliparous women reduce time from prelabour rupture of membranes at term to active phase of labour? A randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To assess if acupuncture influences the onset of labour and the need for induction after prelabour rupture of membranes (PROM) in nulliparous women. Further, to investigate a possible effect of acupuncture on the woman's wellbeing.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a randomised controlled trial (RCT), 106 nulliparous women with PROM were allocated to an acupuncture group (AG) or a control group (CG). The outcome measures were time from PROM to onset of active phase of labour, and rate of inductions if labour was absent after 2 days. The women's self-reported wellbeing was registered on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups regarding time from PROM to active phase (median times in AG versus CG: 15 versus 20.5 h, p=0.34). Additionally, there was no difference between the 2 groups in the need for induction. We found no significant differences in self-reported wellbeing, but the women receiving acupuncture considered their treatment to be more positive than the controls (p=0.003). No adverse effects were reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acupuncture treatment used in nulliparas after PROM showed no significant effect in reducing time to active labour or in reducing rate of inductions. There was no change in wellbeing as a result of acupuncture, but it was considered positive to receive this kind of treatment while waiting for labour to begin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Norway. tone.selmer-olsen@stolav.no
authors.forename: Tone
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Selmer-Olsen
authors.forename: Stian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lydersen
authors.forename: Siv
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mørkved
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes; D006801:Humans; D048949:Labor Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D007751:Labor, Induced; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome