Moxibustion for Breech Presentation: What Trials Show
What clinical trials and a 2023 Cochrane review found when moxibustion was used for a breech baby, how it compares with a medical procedure, and why your maternity team comes first.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Talk to your maternity team first
If your baby is breech late in pregnancy, your midwife or obstetrician decides what is safe for you and your baby. Do not start moxibustion on your own or delay the care you are offered. In an emergency in the United States, call 911. This page is information only.What "breech" means
A breech baby is bottom-down rather than head-down. One UK hospital page says that most of the time it is only chance that a baby does not turn, though a few situations make turning harder, such as too much or too little amniotic fluid, the position of the placenta or more than one baby. [1] The same page describes external cephalic version (ECV), a procedure where a trained team applies gentle pressure on the abdomen to turn the baby head-down, as successful in about half of women, with about 1 in 200 babies needing an emergency caesarean right after it. [1]What moxibustion is in this context
Trials use moxibustion at the acupuncture point Bladder 67 (Zhiyin), at the tip of the fifth toe. The Cochrane review describes moxibustion as burning a herb close to the skin. [2] For the general technique see Moxibustion, and for methods see Types of Moxibustion. We do not give a home protocol.What the trials found
| Question | What the source found | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Moxibustion plus usual care vs usual care alone | 2023 Cochrane review, 13 studies (2,181 women): probably reduces non-head-down presentation at birth (7 trials, 1,152 women; RR 0.87, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.99; moderate certainty) [2] | Promising but limited |
| Caesarean section | Probably little or no difference (6 trials, 1,030 women; moderate certainty) [2] | No good evidence of benefit |
| Need for ECV | Very uncertain (low certainty) [2] | Insufficient evidence |
| Versus sham moxibustion | One trial (272 women): probably fewer non-head-down presentations at birth (moderate certainty) [2] | Promising but limited |
| Use of oxytocin in labor | One trial (260 women): probably reduced (moderate certainty) [2] | Promising but limited |
| Earlier 2012 Cochrane review | 8 trials (1,346 women): moxibustion alone did not reduce non-head-down presentations versus no treatment (P = 0.45); authors found limited evidence [3] | Superseded by 2023 update |
| Newer pooled analysis (2021) | 16 randomized trials (2,555 participants): more head-down presentations at birth (RR 1.39), with stronger results in Asian than non-Asian populations [4] | Promising but limited |
The 2023 review judged that, although blinding is hard with a manual therapy, the objective outcomes meant lack of blinding was unlikely to affect results. [2] The 2021 analysis noted that results differed between Asian and non-Asian populations, which is a reason not to assume the trials apply to everyone. [4] A small Japanese pilot trial of smoke and smokeless moxibustion was not randomized and found no significant difference in head-down presentation at birth. [5]
Which trials were included, where they were done and how they delivered the treatment varied, so these numbers are best read as "possibly helpful for turning, no clear effect on caesarean rate", not as a reliable chance of success.
How a hospital may offer it
One NHS trust page describes a breech clinic where a specialist midwife discusses options including moxibustion, ECV and birth choices. [1] Availability varies by hospital and country.Frequently asked questions
Does moxibustion turn a breech baby?
A 2023 Cochrane review found moderate-certainty evidence that moxibustion plus usual care probably reduces non-head-down presentation at birth, but it made little or no difference to caesarean rate. [2]
Is moxibustion for breech safe?
Adverse events were poorly reported, and one study found more events (nausea, odor, abdominal pain, contractions) with moxibustion; certainty was very low. [2] Ask your maternity care provider.
Why did the 2012 and 2023 Cochrane reviews differ?
The 2012 review found moxibustion alone did not reduce non-head-down presentation versus no treatment; the 2023 update included 13 studies and compared moxibustion plus usual care. [3][2]
Is moxibustion better than ECV?
We did not find a trial comparing them head to head. Proper evidence not found. ECV is a medical procedure with its own success rate and risks. [1]
Can I try it at home?
Speak to your maternity care provider first. Burns and other adverse events are reported. [6]
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Safety
Burns and smoke are also concerns; see Moxibustion and Cupping Risks.
Who should not self-treat
References
- Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (England). Breech baby. A single hospital trust's patient page. Read 2026-10-22.
- Coyle ME, Smith C, Peat B. Cephalic version by moxibustion for breech presentation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023;5:CD003928. PubMed 37158339. Read 2026-10-22.
- Coyle ME, Smith CA, Peat B. Cephalic version by moxibustion for breech presentation (2012 version, since updated). Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;(5):CD003928. PubMed 22592693. Read 2026-10-22.
- Liao JA et al. Correction of breech presentation with moxibustion and acupuncture: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Healthcare (Basel). 2021. PubMed 34067379. Read 2026-10-22.
- Higashihara A, Horiuchi S. Smoke or smokeless moxibustion treatment for breech presentation: a three-arm pilot trial. Jpn J Nurs Sci. 2021. PubMed 33999503. Read 2026-10-22.
- Park JE, Lee SS, Lee MS, Choi SM, Ernst E. Adverse events of moxibustion: a systematic review. Complement Ther Med. 2010;18(5):215-23. PubMed 21056845. Read 2026-10-22.