Background: Neonates in intensive care frequently require impressively high doses of opioids and benzodiazepines to manage pain and provide sedation, and discontinuation of these agents often leads to symptoms of withdrawal and increased agitation. Acupuncture, known to attenuate symptoms of pain and withdrawal in adults, may be useful for managing withdrawal symptoms, pain, and agitation in neonates and infants.Objective: This prospective case series of 10 patients was designed as a preliminary pilot study to examine if acupuncture was beneficial and led to reduction of symptoms of withdrawal and agitation in neonates and infants.Methods: The patients with demonstrated symptoms of agitation and withdrawal were treated with an acupuncture protocol consisting of National Acupuncture Detoxification Association acupuncture points and body points (Yin Tang, ST 36, and PC 6.) Results: The patients tolerated acupuncture well and required a decreased amount of prn medication for treating agitation and withdrawal. Conclusions: Acupuncture may be a useful adjunct for managing agitation and withdrawal in neonates and infants in the intensive care unit, and may lead to a decreased need for sedative medications. Further studies, in the form of randomized, blinded controlled trials, are needed to explore acupuncture's efficacy in this setting.

Introduction: Postoperative pain and nausea are common sequelae of surgical interventions and general anesthesia. Acupuncture has shown promise for managing postoperative pain and nausea in adults, but studies have been limited in children.Objective: This was a pilot study exploring the potential efficacy of perioperative acupuncture in 5 pediatric patients undergoing orthopedic surgery. Materials and Methods: Five children undergoing routine orthopedic procedures were enrolled in an openlabel pilot trial as part of an ongoing study of acupuncture in pediatric orthopedic patients. Perioperative acupuncture was performed following induction of general anesthesia. Postoperative courses are described and compared to previous surgeries performed without acupuncture in several cases. Results: Acupuncture was associated with smooth postoperative courses, including low levels of pain and nausea, and relatively rapid recovery from anesthesia and surgery. In patients who underwent other procedures without acupuncture intervention, the addition of acupuncture was associated with improved recovery profiles and decreased pain. Patients' and parents' satisfaction was high. There were no side-effects of the perioperative acupuncture. Conclusions: Acupuncture was well-tolerated in this pilot study of 5 pediatric orthopedic patients. Additional studies are to be conducted to evaluate clinical and statistical significance using a randomized, blinded study protocol.