Articles
The Essential Guide to Acupuncture in Pregnancy and Childbirth
(Book review).Sarah Budd. Acupuncture in Medicine 25.1-2 (Jan-April 2007): p53(1).
(664 words) Reading Level (Lexile): 1370.
Full Text:COPYRIGHT 2007 British Medical Acupuncture Society
The Essential Guide to Acupuncture in Pregnancy and Childbirth
Debra Betts
Hardback, 320 pages, price: 31.50 [pounds sterling] The Journal of Chinese Medicine; 2006 ISBN 0951054694
There are only a few books published in the West on the topic of Acupuncture in Pregnancy and Childbirth. This is easily my favourite, so it gives me great pleasure to write a review of it. Many acupuncturists shy away from treating pregnant women, and in fact, some are taught categorically not to. Those of us who have specialised in this area have built a wealth of experience and Debra Betts generously shares this with her readers. This generosity is highlighted by the free downloads of patient handouts on moxibustion, acupressure for labour and dietary advice as well as continually updated information available on her website.
Having read many of her articles in journals and then this book, I was amazed to discover that her background is in neonatal nursing and not midwifery. Debra graduated from the London College of Acupuncture with a Diploma in 1989 and since 1991, when she returned to New Zealand, she has established a busy private practice specialising in pregnancy and women's health care. Since 1993, she has also taught at the New Zealand School of Acupuncture and in 1997, started teaching acupuncture courses to midwives. She has taken the knowledge passed down from history and made it available in a very practical format based on what has clearly worked so well for her patients and the midwives she has taught.
Throughout the book, Debra has emphasised safe and effective care as a priority and has assumed that non-medical acupuncturists will be working alongside the woman's caregivers, whether her midwife, doctor or specialist. With this in mind, she has started each chapter with some medical background to help practitioners understand the terminology used in pregnancy care. She has catered for both practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as well as those trained in medical acupuncture by including sections written from a TCM perspective, but with explanatory glossaries of terms used throughout the book. There are plenty of case histories included, which come from a variety of sources, illustrate how a range of acupuncture treatments can be relevant in pregnancy, and provide practical examples of treatments. There are a few nicely presented colour illustrations.
The introduction covers safety of treatment, including point selection and contraindicated points of pregnancy. Needle techniques, the use of moxa and positions for treatment are all covered. In the margin, boxes are used to pick out the main points and alert the practitioner who may be glancing through the book in a hurry while the patient is sitting in front of him or her! Debra also uses this system to highlight the main acupuncture points used for different conditions.
There are 24 chapters devoted to treatment of various conditions including nausea and vomiting through to labour and postnatal problems. The chapter which reviews some of the research into the application of acupuncture in pregnancy only includes seven studies, reflecting the relatively low number published to date in this field but Debra does discuss them in some detail and where possible has included some detail of the treatment method. The last chapter covers dietary advice during and after pregnancy. There are several appendices, which will be useful for both the non-medical practitioner and the medical acupuncturist. They include antenatal tests as well as location and needling of acupuncture points used in the text with a point location index at the end. There is a Western medicine glossary and a Chinese medicine glossary.
Debra's aim in writing the book was 'to provide practical information on using acupuncture in pregnancy care and to overcome the reluctance of some acupuncture practitioners to become involved in this specialist area'. This text will strengthen their sense of confidence and expand the range of treatments offered to women throughout pregnancy and childbirth. In my opinion, she has certainly fulfilled her aims.
Sarah Budd
midwifery sister
acupuncturist
Plymouth
Named Works: The Essential Guide to Acupuncture in Pregnancy and Childbirth Debra Betts (Book) Book reviews
Source Citation:Budd, Sarah. "The Essential Guide to Acupuncture in Pregnancy and Childbirth.(Book review)." Acupuncture in Medicine 25.1-2 (Jan-April 2007): 53(1). Health Reference Center Academic. Gale. Florida Atlantic University. 30 Nov. 2007
<http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.fau.edu/itx/start.do?prodId=HRCA>.
Gale Document Number:A166565262
Disclaimer: This information is not a tool for self-diagnosis or a substitute for professional care.
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