Electrical Stimulation of Acupuncture Points Helps Resolve a Child's Failure to Thrive

Failure to thrive (FTT) is a challenging childhood condition that may lead to developmental delays and requires immediate therapeutic strategies. Children are diagnosed with FTT when their weight or rate of weight gain is significantly below that of other children of similar age and sex. A Pub Med literature search revealed no published acupuncture treatments for failure to thrive or faltering growth.

A 2 year, 4 month-old female was presented with FTT and a history of multiple severe congenital medical conditions. Western medical treatment with optimization of tube feeds achieved weight scores in the third-to-fifth percentile range. Acupuncture points were electrically stimulated for the child once monthly for 30 seconds with a Pointer Plus™ at each of 12 traditional Chinese/Shu Mu points and at several auricular points: Appetite, Stomach, Small Intestine, and Large Intestine bilateral.

The patient gained weight during the treatment, increasing monthly as shown on fully naked weight measurements to the 25th percentile, 28th percentile, 32nd percentile, 40th percentile, 46th percentile, 61st percentile, and 65^th percentile. Her treatment was spaced to every 2.5 months after the 46th percentile measurement, and her weight started to level off when it reached the 61st percentile.

In this particular case, electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation may have facilitated a weight gain in this female child. EA (nonneedle) research should be explored for FTT.