{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,16]],"date-time":"2026-09-16T16:02:05Z","timestamp":1789574525333,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,23]],"date-time":"2020-12-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1608681600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Pediatr."],"abstract":"<jats:p><jats:bold>Background:<\/jats:bold> Eye exam for Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a painful procedure and pharmacological analgesia might be ineffective. We hypothesized that magnetic auricular acupuncture (MAA) compared to placebo will decrease pain during ROP exam in preterm infants.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Methods:<\/jats:bold> Multicentre randomized controlled trial conducted in three hospitals (Australia, Canada, and Malaysia). Eligibility: &amp;gt;32 weeks, ROP exam, not sedated, and parental consent. A total of 100 infants were randomized (1:1) to MAA (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic> = 50) or placebo (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic> = 50). MAA stickers or placebo were placed on both ears by an unblinded investigator. Pain was assessed using the Premature Infant Pain Profile. Primary analyses were by intention-to-treat. <jats:ext-link>ClinicalTrials.gov<\/jats:ext-link>:NCT03650621.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Findings:<\/jats:bold> The mean (standard deviation, SD) gestation, birthweight, and postnatal age were (MAA 28(3) vs. placebo 28(2) weeks; MAA 1,057(455) vs. placebo 952(273) g; MAA 7(3) vs. placebo 7(3) weeks. Placebo infants had significantly higher PIPP scores during [mean difference 1.6 points (95%CI 0.1\u20133.1)] and 1 h mean difference 1.5 points (95%CI 0.7\u20132.2) after the procedure (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> &amp;lt; 0.03). Heart rate was lower (173(22) vs. 184(18)\/min) and oxygen saturations were higher (93.8(6.2) vs. 91.7(6.1)%, <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> = 0.05) in MAA infants. No adverse effects.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Interpretation:<\/jats:bold> MAA may reduce physiological pain responses during and after ROP exam in preterm infants. Assessment of long-term effects are warranted.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Clinical trial registration<\/jats:bold>: <jats:ext-link>www.ClinicalTrials.gov<\/jats:ext-link>, identifier: NCT03650621.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fped.2020.615008","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,23]],"date-time":"2020-12-23T08:51:50Z","timestamp":1608713510000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Magnetic Non-invasive Auricular Acupuncture During Eye-Exam for Retinopathy of Prematurity in Preterm Infants: A Multicentre Randomized Controlled Trial"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"8","author":[{"given":"Kimberly M. 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