A systematic review and meta-analysis illustrated that in pregnant women, the use of auricular acupressure is supported by effective pain alleviation, improved pain perception, and the absence of side effects. The goal of Meng-Meng Xu et al. was to assess the efficiency of auricular acupressure for labor pain relief. Three Chinese and six English electronic databases were thoroughly searched. The PRISMA checklist was adhered to. With the aid of the Cochrane Collaboration Bias Risk Assessment Tool, the methodological quality of incorporated studies was examined. Software called Review Manager 5.3 was used to perform the meta-analysis. Utilizing I2, heterogeneity between trials was assessed.

Overall, 312 volunteers from 5 trials were enrolled. Auricular acupressure  successfully mitigated labor pain at cervix dilations of 10, 8, and 6 cm.  At cervix dilations of 10, 8, and 6 cm, the labor pain scores of the auricular acupressure group were considerably reduced than those of the usual care group, with mean differences of -1.96, -1.44, and -1.05 respectively. Auricular acupressure also exhibited a tendency to shorten the second and third phases of labor, as well as the active period.

There was no proof that auricular acupressure affected the 1 and 5-minute Apgar scores or cesarean section rates. Hence, the use of auricular acupressure is associated with efficient labor pain management and improved labor pain perception. Before making firm suggestions, further thorough and high-quality studies must be conducted to substantiate the findings.