Objective

2

To investigate the effect of acupoint application of Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM）on recovery of gastrointestinal function after cesarean section.

Methods

2

Totally 200 puerperae undergoing cesarean section were randomly divided into observation group and control group， with 100 cases in each group. All puerperae received routine postpartum care， and those in the observation group were given TCM acupoint application. The bowel sound recovery time， time of anal exhaust and first time of defecation were recorded， and abdominal distension was measured at 24 h and 48 h after cesarean section.

Results

2

The bowel sound recovery time， time of anal exhaust and first time of defecation were shorter in the observation group than those in the control group（

P

＜0.05）. The incidence of abdominal distension in the observation group was lower than that in the control group at 24 h and 48 h after cesarean section respectively （

P

＜0.05）.

Conclusion

2

TCM acupoint application on Shenque （CV 8）， bilateral Yongquan （KI 1）， bilateral Shenshu（BL 23） is effective on recovery of puerperae’s gastrointestinal function， reduce the risk of abdominal distension and improve postpartum quality of life.