There are some pretty good reasons to avoid antidepressants: They’re dangerous, and they don’t work– just to name two. But for pregnant women, there’s an even bigger reason: the potential for damage to the unborn baby.

But now, pregnant women suffering from depression don’t have to face that risk. According to a new study, acupuncture can help pregnant women overcome depression. No drugs, no side effects–for mom and baby alike.

In the largest study of its kind, researchers assigned 150 pregnant women with clinical depression to one of three treatments for eight weeks: acupuncture for depression, acupuncture that was not designed for depression, and massage.

The acupuncture designed for depression provided relief for 63 percent of women, versus just 44 percent for the patients getting the other treatments, according to the study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

There are powerful meds on the market that aren’t nearly as effective. Some of them offer no relief at all–yet doctors keep dishing them out. These drugs are bad enough for the adults who take them, even leading to suicide in some cases… but they can also do awful things to unborn babies.

One new study found that babies, especially boys, born to mothers who use antidepressants during pregnancy are more likely to face developmental delays in their first 19 months. They have more trouble sitting up, more problems with gross motor function and shorter attention spans, according to the study in Pediatrics.

A 2004 study found babies born to mothers who used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) meds during pregnancy were more likely to face problems like tremors, abnormal heart rhythms and troubling sleep patterns in their first days. Other studies have linked some antidepressants to an increased risk of heart defects.

Researchers say animal studies have found longer-term and even permanent damage after exposure to these meds during pregnancy… and are calling for longer-term studies in humans.

Women who fight depression during pregnancy shouldn’t ignore it because they also have a higher risk for postpartum depression. And even that can have a direct impact on the baby’s health. Studies have found that babies face problems with both cognitive and emotional development when mom battles the postpartum blues.

Fortunately, you don’t have to put up with the drugs OR the depression. As the latest study shows, all you really need is the ability to withstand the almost painless pinch of the acupuncture needle.