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Acupuncture in the neonatal intensive care unit—using ancient medicine to help today’s babies: a review

Journal of Perinatology volume 37, pages 749–756 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years in Eastern medicine for a variety of conditions and illnesses, including pain. Neonatal intensive care, on the other hand, is a relatively new branch of medicine that has emerged as the pivotal influence in increasing survival of critically ill newborn infants only within the last 50 years. Unfortunately, pain is an inevitable part of treatment in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The control and prevention of pain remains a major issue for clinicians despite recognition and understanding of the myriad of short- and long-term problems that are associated with both pain and its treatment within the NICU environment. In this review, we examine the potential role of acupuncture to decrease and treat pain in babies requiring neonatal intensive care and discuss future therapeutic and research implications for the use of this ancient therapy within the modern environment of the NICU.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia

    K L Chen & J L Oei

  2. Centre for Healthy Brain Aging, CHeBA, University of New South Wales, Randwick, NSW, Australia

    I Quah-Smith

  3. Centre for the Studies of Asphyxia and Resuscitation, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    G M Schmölzer

  4. Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    G M Schmölzer

  5. United States Air Force Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine Center, Joint Base Andrews, MD, USA

    R Niemtzow

  6. Department of Newborn Care, The Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick, NSW, Australia

    J L Oei

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  1. K L Chen
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KLC developed first draft of manuscript, revised and manuscript for submission; IQ-S, GMS and RN reviewed, revised and approved manuscript for submission; JLO developed concept for study, supervised KLC, revised and approved final manuscript for submission.

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The opinions and assertions contained herein are the private views of the author and are not to be construed as official or as reflecting the views of the United States Air Force Medical Corps, the Air Force at large, or the Department of Defense.

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Chen, K., Quah-Smith, I., Schmölzer, G. et al. Acupuncture in the neonatal intensive care unit—using ancient medicine to help today’s babies: a review. J Perinatol 37, 749–756 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2016.227

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