Effect of auricular acupressure on postpartum blues: A randomized sham controlled trial

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the effect of auricular acupressure on the severity of postpartum blues.

Methods: A randomized sham controlled trial was conducted from February to November 2021, with 74 participants who were randomly allocated into two groups of either routine care + auricular acupressure (n = 37), or routine care + sham control (n = 37). Vacaria seeds with special non-latex adhesives were used to perform auricular acupressure on seven ear acupoints. There were two intervention sessions with an interval of five days. In the sham group, special non-latex adhesives without vacaria seeds were attached in the same acupoints as the intervention group. Severity of postpartum blues, fatigue, maternal-infant attachment, and postpartum depression were assessed.

Results: Auricular acupressure was associated with significant effect in reduction of postpartum blues on 10th and 15th days after childbirth (SMD = -2.77 and -2.15 respectively), postpartum depression on the 21st day after childbirth (SMD = -0.74), and maternal fatigue on 10th, 15th and 21st days after childbirth (SMD = -2.07, -1.30 and -1.32, respectively). Also, maternal-infant attachment was increased significantly on the 21st day after childbirth (SMD = 1.95).

Conclusion: Auricular acupressure was effective in reducing postpartum blues and depression, reducing maternal fatigue, and increasing maternal-infant attachment in the short-term after childbirth.

Trial registration: Registered prospectively in Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (ID: IRCT20180218038789N2).

Keywords: Auricular acupressure; Depression; Fatigue; Maternal neonatal attachment; Postpartum blues.