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Pediatric Acupuncture Safety: A Scoping Review
Aiko Bailey1, Brenda Loew1, Rachel Blume2
1Department of Family Medicine, Osher Center for Integrative Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Insights
Pediatric acupuncture appears safe, with no serious adverse events reported in recent studies. However, comprehensive safety data is lacking, necessitating further research to guide clinical decisions.
Area of Science:
- Integrative Medicine
- Pediatric Health
- Evidence-Based Practice
Background:
- Acupuncture shows promise for pediatric conditions.
- Safety and adverse effects of pediatric acupuncture require further clarification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a scoping review of recent evidence on pediatric acupuncture safety.
- To identify research gaps and priorities in pediatric acupuncture safety.
Main Methods:
- Searched MEDLINE (July 2015-June 2025) using MESH terms for pediatric acupuncture safety.
- Included studies on filiform needle acupuncture in patients under 21.
- Excluded studies combining acupuncture with other interventions.
Main Results:
- 14 studies met inclusion criteria (RCTs, case reports, cohort studies, etc.).
- No serious adverse effects were reported across the reviewed studies.
- Identified a lack of comprehensive adverse event data.
Conclusions:
- Recent literature shows no serious adverse effects from pediatric acupuncture.
- Incomplete adverse event reporting hinders full understanding of pediatric acupuncture safety.
- Future research should rigorously assess the effectiveness and safety of pediatric acupuncture.
Background:
Previous research studies have indicated that acupuncture may be a promising treatment for several pediatric conditions, but the frequency and severity of associated adverse effects remain unclear.
Objective:
We conducted a scoping review to identify the most recent evidence on the safety of pediatric acupuncture and to identify priorities for further research.
Method:
Using MESH headings, we searched the MEDLINE database for articles published between July 1st, 2015, and June 30th, 2025. Articles identified with the search were analyzed using Covidence, a systematic review management system. We included publications with data pertaining to the safety of acupuncture for children. We restricted our search to studies reporting use of the most common type of acupuncture needles (filiform) for patients under age 21. Studies of acupuncture in combination with another intervention were excluded.
Results:
330 potentially relevant abstracts were identified, 71 of which appeared to meet our criteria. After full text screening, 14 studies met our inclusion criteria: 5 randomized controlled trials, 3 case reports, 2 cohort studies, 2 feasibility studies, 1 systematic review, and 1 retrospective review. No serious adverse effects were reported in any of the publications reviewed.
Limitations:
Search limited to MEDLINE and filiform needling.
Conclusions:
Our scoping review of research published in the past decade failed to identify any reports of serious adverse effects of acupuncture in pediatric populations, confirming the findings of previous reviews. However, studies have failed to capture complete and comprehensive data on the adverse effects of pediatric acupuncture. Future research that rigorously evaluates both the effectiveness and the safety of commonly used acupuncture treatments for specific pediatric conditions will help clinicians and families make more fully informed decisions about the appropriate role of acupuncture in pediatric care.
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