Acupuncture for autism spectrum disorders (ASD)

Efficacy and safety of acupuncture in children: an overview of systematic reviews

“…It was used on ~150,000 children (0.2%) and provided as a part of services in onethird of pediatric pain centers in the United States (7,8). Acupuncture in children has been widely used for asthma, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), cerebral palsy, and complications of cancer (9)(10)(11)(12).…”

What do Cochrane systematic reviews say about interventions for autism spectrum disorders?

“…Thus, we included 17 systematic reviews. 4,[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] Results from systematic reviews A summary of each systematic review is presented narratively below. In addition, Table 2 4,10-25 presents the issues addressed, the main findings from each systematic review and the quality of the evidence (based on the GRADE approach).…”

“…3 With greater severity of ASDs, activities of daily living are limited and the impairments of ASDs can have an important impact on learning and social functioning that may persist during adulthood. 4 Healthcare and social care for people with ASDs is frequently complex, since they are more likely to have mental health comorbidities and suicidal ideation. 5 Assessments need to be multidisciplinary and developmental, and early detection is determinant.…”

Complementary and alternative medicine use in children with autistic spectrum disorder in Mauritius

“…Adverse effects such as bleeding, crying due to fear or pain, irritability, disturbed sleep, and increase hyperactivity, were observed. After reviewing 10 trials, there was no evidence to support the use the acupuncture for the treatment of ASD [36]. However, it was demonstrated by Zhao et al [37] that electroacupuncture was useful to manage childhood autism, whereby its effectiveness can be assessed using single-photon emission computed tomography.…”