Laser Acupuncture for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is usually treated with opiate derivatives and supported with nonpharmacological treatment.METHODS: This prospective, randomized, controlled, blinded, single-center study was carried out between March 2009 and November 2014. Newborn infants diagnosed with NAS after maternal opioid substitution therapy were eligible for inclusion. Infants were randomly allocated to the acupuncture group (combining laser acupuncture and pharmacological therapy of morphine and phenobarbital) or control group (pharmacological therapy alone). Laser acupuncture was performed with a LABpen MED 10 (675 nm/10 mW) at 5 ear and 4 body acupuncture points, bilaterally, and sessions were repeated every day. The primary outcome measure was duration of oral morphine therapy for NAS. Secondary outcomes included highest single Finnegan score, time to highest single Finnegan score, maximum amount of oral morphine solution (in milliliters per kilogram and milligrams per kilogram), time to maximum amount of oral morphine solution, and length of hospital stay.RESULTS: Twenty-eight newborns (14 in each group) were eligible for analysis. Duration of oral morphine therapy was significantly reduced in the acupuncture group compared with the control group (28 vs 39 days, respectively, P = .019). In addition, we observed a significantly reduced length of hospital stay in the acupuncture group compared with the control group (35 days [interquartile range 25 to 47] vs 50 days [36 to 66], P = .048).CONCLUSIONS: Adjunctive laser acupuncture significantly reduced the duration of morphine therapy in newborns with NAS. WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT:The impact of neonatal abstinence syndrome is of concern because the number of newborns showing symptoms of withdrawal after intrauterine drug exposure is increasing worldwide. Newborns developing neonatal abstinence syndrome require prolonged medical treatment and longer hospital admission after birth. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS:This first randomized controlled trial presents data on newborns with neonatal abstinence syndrome treated with laser acupuncture. The findings suggest that adjuvant laser acupuncture has the potential to reduce duration of morphine therapy and length of hospital stay. Dr Raith conceptualized and designed the study, provided oversight for the research procedures and data acquisition, contributed to the interpretation of the data, wrote the first draft of the article, and revised the final manuscript; Dr Schmölzer made substantial contributions to the conceptualization of the study and performed data acquisition and interpretation of data; Drs Schmölzer, Resch, Reiterer, and Avian made substantial contributions to the design of the study; Drs Raith, Resch, Reiterer, Avian, Köstenberger, and Urlesberger reviewed the manuscript and made revisions; Drs Resch and Reiterer made substantial contributions to the randomization procedures and maintained and ensured the masking of personnel; Dr Avian performed statistical analysis and interpretation of dat...

Systematic mixed‐study review of nonpharmacological management of neonatal abstinence syndrome

“…The included studies all originated in high‐resource countries including the United States (n = 9), Canada (n = 3), Austria (n = 1), and the United Kingdom (n = 1) . The quality improvement and cohort studies were appraised as fair to good methodologically, with all meeting a minimum of eight of the 16 quality content domains (Table ).…”

“…The quality improvement and cohort studies were appraised as fair to good methodologically, with all meeting a minimum of eight of the 16 quality content domains (Table ). The remaining five studies included a randomized controlled trial, case series, a cohort study, and a phenomenological study . A common study limitation of these was the variability of the study populations (Table ).…”

Does noninvasive electrical stimulation of acupuncture points reduce heelstick pain in neonates?

“…It has also been used to treat neonatal abstinence syndrome [8]. NESAP, a non-invasive method of stimulation of acupuncture points, has been shown to be safe in neonates [9].…”

Laser acupuncture reduces pain in pediatric kidney biopsies: a randomized controlled trial

“…There is evidence for use in myofacial pain [4,36] and numerous other conditions [4]. In children, LA reduces intensity and number of migraine headaches [23], decreases vomiting in post-operative settings [51], and reduces duration of morphine therapy and hospital stay in neonatal abstinence syndrome infants [44]. Several studies have shown laser acupuncture is as effective as traditional acupuncture using needles.…”