Effect of Combined Acupuncture and Rehabilitation on High-risk Infants with Perinatal Brain Injuries / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the effect of combined acupuncture and rehabilitation on intelligence and motor development of high risk infants with perinatal brain injuries. Methods: Ninety-seven survived cases in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) were allocated into a treatment group of 53 cases and a control group of 44 cases following the consent of the parents. Cases in the treatment group were treated by combined acupuncture and rehabilitation; whereas cases in the control group were treated by conventional child care methods. Systemic follow-up has been made for 2 years. Then the infants' intelligence was evaluated respectively in the 6th, 12th and 34th months. Results: Compared with the control group, the mental development indexes (MDI) and physical development indexes (PDI) in the treatment group were increased by 14.96 and 9.82 respectively. There was a significant difference (X2=8.1659, P<0.01) in the abnormal intelligence rates between the treatment group (15.1%) and the control group (40.9%,). Conclusion: Combined acupuncture and rehabilitation can effectively improve the mental and physical development of high-risk infants with perinatal brain injuries. Additionally, this therapy can decrease the disability rates and increase the infants' quality of life.