ArticleEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM2012
Thermographical measuring of the skin temperature using laser needle acupuncture in preterm neonates.
Article in Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Acupuncture for neonatal abstinence syndrome in newborn infants.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Intra- and Interrater Reliability of Infrared Image Analysis of Facial Acupoints in Individuals with Facial Paralysis.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2020Article
- A Scoping Review of Acupuncture as a Potential Intervention for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.Medical acupuncture · 2019Article
- Acupuncture in the neonatal intensive care unit-using ancient medicine to help today's babies: a review.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2017Review
- Laser acupuncture causes thermal changes in small intestine meridian pathway.Lasers in medical science · 2016Article
- Modern acupuncture-like stimulation methods: a literature review.Integrative medicine research · 2015Review
- Changes of locoregional skin temperature in neonates undergoing laser needle acupuncture at the acupuncture point large intestine 4.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2015Article
- Near-infrared spectroscopy for objectifying cerebral effects of laser acupuncture in term and preterm neonates.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2013Article
- Efficacy and safety of acupuncture in preterm and term infants.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2013Article
- Laser acupuncture - innovative basic research: visual and laser-induced evoked potentials.Laser therapy · 2012Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
In children, laser acupuncture is used more often than needle acupuncture in Western countries, due to their aversion to needles. When applying laser acupuncture to premature babies and neonates, firstly the degree of the thermal increase to the skin has to be evaluated so as to guarantee safe application. The patients were premature neonates before their discharge from hospital. The measurements were carried out by means of a polygraphy while they were asleep shortly. The large intestine 4 acupoint (LI4, Hegu) was stimulated by a microlaser needle (10 mW, 685 nm) twice (5 and 10 min). Local thermographic pictures were taken with a thermal camera (Flir i5, Flir Systems Inc., Portland, USA), and the warmest point was determined and subsequently compared. The study included 10 premature neonates (7 male, 3 female). The measurements were carried out on the 33rd day of life (weight 2030 g, gestational age 36 + 3 weeks of pregnancy). In comparison to the initial temperature (32.9°C), after 5 minutes of stimulation (33.9°C) (P = 0.025) and also after 10 minutes of stimulation (34.0°C) (P = 0.01), there was found to be a significant increase in the skin temperature. The singular maximum value of 37.9°C bears a potential danger; however, compared to the local temperatures reached in transcutaneous blood gas measurements it appears not to entail any risks.
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.