A systematic review of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for postpartum depression

Background and purpose Chinese medicine is increasingly used by women with postpartum depression (PPD). We systematically analyzed randomized controlled trials of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for PPD. Methods Studies were retrieved from English and Chinese databases. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess methodological quality. Results Fifteen CHM, and three acupuncture studies were included. Low quality evidence suggested that CHM alone or combined with antidepressants as add-on therapy may reduce symptoms of depression compared to placebo or antidepressants on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). There was no statistically significant difference between acupuncture and antidepressants. Adverse events were rare. Conclusions CHM reduced PPD symptoms greater than placebo or antidepressants. Acupuncture was neither superior nor inferior to antidepressants. More rigorously designed studies are required to confirm the effect of CHM and acupuncture for PPD.