Table 1: Baseline characteristics of the studies
1st author, year
Design,
Country
number
of arms
Population
Outcomes
Participants (n), intervention
(n) ,
dose, frequency,
treatment duration
gestational
Treatment group
age
Placebo control group
acupressure finger
Dundee 1988
112, sham, dummy point
5 min every 4 hours,
Ireland
near right elbow
4days
[36]
119, control: no treatment
Belluomini 1994
qRCT, 3 350, 6-14 w
RCT, 2
60, ≤ 12 w
NVP
119, PC6
NVP
30, PC6
30, sham, placebo point
10 min, 4x/d, for 7 days
HG
23, PC6 + IV fluid
21, sham control, a bony
10 min, 3x/d before meal
therapy
part around the radial pulse from day 2 - day of
California, US
[37]
Shin 2007
South Korea
[2]
qRCT, 3 66, 5-30 w
+ IV fluid therapy
discharge (mean 5-7
22, control, only
days)
conventional IV fluid
therapy
Rad 2012
RCT, 2
Iran
80, first
NVP
trimester
[22]
40, pressure thumb of
40, pressure thumb of
20 min/d for 4 days
researcher on the two
researcher on a false point + Vit B 6 40 mg
symmetrical KID21
+ Vit B 6 40 mg
points
+ Vit B 6 40 mg
Jiang 2012
RCT, 2
China
130,
HG
5-10, 7 w
[3]
65, PC6 + IV fluid
65, IV fluid therapy
10 min, 3x/d before meal
therapy + ear
of nausea for 7 days
acupressure stomach,
Control: 3-7 days
spleen, duodenum,
liver, shen men, heart
acupressure band
O'Brien 1996
RCT, 3
Canada
161, 4.6-23.6
NVP
54, PC6
w
inappropriately placed
[9]
Norheim 2001*
53, sham: acupressure band Band applied for 5 days,
removed morning of day
54, control: no treatment 6
49, placebo, wristband
24h/d, 4 day run-in, 4 day
Norway
with felt patch, no button
intervention, 4 day
[38]
PC6
follow-up, 12d
42, placebo, PC6 without
Continuously on both
acupressure buttons
wrists for 4 days, remove
Steele 2001
Michigan, US
[39]
RCT, 2
97, 8-12 w
qRCT, 2 110, ≤ 13 w
NVP
NVP
48, PC6
68, PC6
only when bathing
Werntoft 2001
RCT, 3
60, mean 10 w
NVP
20, PC6
20, sham: button on upper On for 24 hours, only not
Sweden
side of wrist
[5]
20, control: no treatment days
Heazell 2006
40, sham: a site on the
8 hours a day, from 9 AM
Australia
dorsal aspect of the
to 5 PM, length of
[27]
forearm
inpatient stay (mean 3.4)
33, PC6 + placebo
33, sham: wristband on
Bands: continuously for
tablets
dummy-point + 50 mg
5 days
tablets of Vit B6
Tablets: every 12 h for 5
Jamigorn 2007
RCT, 2
RCT, 2
80, 5- 14 w
66, 6-12 w
HG
NVP
Thailand
40, PC6
when showering, for 14
[40]
days
Can Gurkan 2008
QRCT, 3 75, 5-20 w
NVP
26, PC6
Turkey
24, sham: upper side wrist Daytime, taken off at
25, control: no treatment
[20]
night; no bands day 1-3,
bands on day 4-6, no
bands day 7-9, for 9 days
Saberi 2013
RCT, 3
143, ≤ 16 w
NVP
48, PC6
Iran
[6]
50, ginger caps
Nothing on day 1-3,
45, control: no treatment
treatment on day 4-7
PC6: continuously
bilateral
Ginger caps: 3x/day
Acupuncture
Knight 2001
RCT, 2
55, 6-10 w
NVP
28, needling PC6, St
27, cocktail sticks on bony Needles left during 15
UK
36, Ren 12, SP4, St 44 regions near acupoint
then 1x/ week for 2weeks
[35]
Smith 2002
min, 2x in first week,
RCT, 4
593, ≤ 14 w
NVP
148, maximum 6
148, PC6
Needles left during 20
Australia
various points based
148, sham: close to
min, 2x in first week,
[10]
on TCM diagnosis
acupoints
then weekly, for 4
149, control: no treatment weeks.
Neri 2005
RCT, 2
81, ≤ 12 w
HG
43, needling PC6,
38, metoclopramide
Acupuncture: 20 min, 2x/
Italy
CV12, ST 36, +
infusion + Vit B12
week + acupressure for
[8]
acupressure PC6
complex(30 mg/day)
6-8 h/day, for 2 weeks.
Metoclopramide:
infusion 2x/week + vit.
B12, for 2 weeks.
Zhang 2005
RCT, 3
China
150,
HG
6-12 w
[26]
50, needling +
50, Chinese drug group:
Acup: 10-15 min, 2x/d,
moxibustion CV12,
Suye Huanglian decoction for 7days
PC6, ST36, SP9
50, Western medicine:
Chinese drug: 2x/d, 7d
IV fluid therapy +
Western drug: daily, 7d
phenobarbital
Liu 2007
China
[29]
RCT, 2
94, early
pregnancy
HG
47, needling: scalp,
47, control: IV fluid
stomach area, CV12,
therapy
PC6, ST36 + IV fluid
therapy
1x/d for 10 days
Wang 2008
RCT, 2
China
95, early
HG
pregnancy
53, CV17, CV12, SP6, 42, control: IV fluid
Acupuncture: 30 min,
PC6, ST36
1x/d, 6d
therapy
Control: 1x/d, 6d
[34]
Mao 2009
RCT, 3
90, 6-12 w
HG
30, IV fluid therapy
30, Western medicine: IV
Each group IV fluid
China
+ needling BL11,
fluid therapy + luminal
therapy Acup: 25 min,
[33]
ST37, PC6, SP4,
30 mg
2x/d for 7days
CV12, ST36
30, Chinese drug group: Western medicine: 3x/d
IV fluid therapy +
for 7 days
Chinese herbal decoction
Chinese drug group: 3x/d
for 7 days
Liu 2011
RCT, 2
China
60, early
HG
pregnancy
30, needling CV12,
30, moxibustion ST36,
15-20 min, 1x/d for 10
PC6, ST36
CV12, PC6, SP4
days
30, CV12, BL21 +
30, IV fluid therapy
Acupuncture: 20 min,
[41]
Ma 2013
RCT, 2
China
60, early
HG
pregnancy
IV fluid therapy
1x/d for 5 days
IV fluid therapy: 1x/d ,
[30]
for 5 days
auricular acupressure
Ou 2001
RCT, 3
90,
NVP
Group 1: 30, ear
30, group 2: ear
Group 1: acupressure: 10
China
early
acupressure:
acupressure: diaphragm
min, 3x/d + herbs 3x/d,
[42]
pregnancy
diaphragm (bilateral),
(bilateral), shen men,
for 7 days
shen men, kidney +
Chinese herbal
medicine
kidney
30, group 3: Chinese
herbal medicine
Group 2: acupressure: 10
min, 3x/d, for 7days
Group 3: herbs: 3x/d for
7 days
Puangsricharern
RCT, 2
91, ≤ 14 w
NVP
2008
45, magnet pellets,
46, no treatment, 6d
placed at both auricles
before meals and at
Thailand [7]
Li 2010
30 seconds, 4x/day
bedtime, day 3-day 6
RCT, 3
141, 5-30 w
HG
47, ear acupoints:
47, PC6 acupressure
Ear acupressure: 3x/d
China
stomach, spleen,
47, IV fluid therapy
before meals or in case of
[31]
duodenum, liver, shen
nausea
men, heart,+ needling
Acupuncture: 30 min,
CV 12, PC6, ST36
1x/d for 10 days
PC6 acupressure: 10 min,
3x/d before meals or
nausea, for 10 days
Liu 2012
RCT, 2
54, mean 8 w
HG
27, pylorus, stomach,
27, fasting for 2-3 d, rest,
Bilateral, 2 min, 15 min
China
spleen, esophagus,
IV fluid therapy
before meal, 3x/d for
[32]
duodenum, liver,
heart, subcortex , shen
men, jiao gan.
Moxa
7days
Fan 1995
RCT, 2
302, >2m
NVP
China
151, moxa SP6, CV4
151, chinese herbal
5-10 min, 1x/d for 7days
ST36, Li3
decoction
Herbs:1x/d for 7days
26, IV fluid therapy +
25, IV fluid therapy
Moxa: 15-20 min, 1-2x/d
[11]
Xu 2009
RCT, 2
China
51, early
HG
pregnancy
moxa ST36, CV12,
[12]
Lu 2012
China
[13]
IV fluid 1x/d, for 10 days
PC6, SP4
RCT, 2
64,
38-80 d
HG
32, IV fluid therapy +
32, IV fluid therapy +
IV fluid: 1x/d
citicoline 500 mg +
citicoline 500 mg
Moxa: 20 min, 2x/d for 5
moxa ST36, CV12,
days
PC6
NVP, Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy; HG, Hyperemesis gravidarum; *Based on the review van Helmreich[4]: n = 48/49.