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Published on: June 21, 2024
Acupuncture for hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy in neonates
Virginia Wong1, Daniel K L Cheuk, Vanessa Chu
1Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China. vcnwong@hkucc.hku.hk.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|February 27, 2013
Summary
Acupuncture is not recommended for treating hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in neonates due to a lack of evidence. More high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to assess acupuncture
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Integrative Medicine
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in neonates presents significant mortality and morbidity risks.
- Limited effective treatment options necessitate exploration of alternative therapies like acupuncture.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for treating neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).
- To assess acupuncture's impact on mortality and morbidity in neonates diagnosed with HIE.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search conducted across multiple databases including Cochrane, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Chinese medical databases up to November 2012.
- Inclusion criteria focused on randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials comparing needle acupuncture to control groups (no treatment, placebo, or sham) in neonates (<28 days) with HIE.
- Data extraction and quality assessment were planned by two independent reviewers using standardized statistical measures (RR, RD, NNTB/NNTH, MD) with 95% confidence intervals.
Main Results:
- No randomized controlled trials met the predefined inclusion criteria for evaluating acupuncture in neonates with HIE.
- Existing studies focused on acupuncture in older infants who had survived HIE, not on the acute neonatal phase.
- The efficacy and safety of acupuncture for treating HIE in neonates remain unevaluated and unknown.
Conclusions:
- The scientific rationale for using acupuncture in neonates with HIE is currently unclear.
- A significant lack of high-quality randomized controlled trial evidence precludes recommending acupuncture for neonatal HIE.
- Further rigorous research, specifically high-quality randomized controlled trials, is essential to determine acupuncture's role in managing neonatal HIE.