ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Glob. Women’s Health
Sec. Maternal Health
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fgwh.2025.1597105
This article is part of the Research TopicEmotionally-centred Perinatal Care, Practices and ExperiencesView all 14 articles
Auricular acupuncture as stress relieving intervention for parents in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit – insights gained from a pilot study
Provisionally accepted
Helle Haslund-Thomsen1,2,3*
Bettina Svelle1,3
Christina Holstein Skoda1,3Malene Horskjaer1,3Marie Germund Nielsen1,2- 1Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
- 2Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- 3Department of Pediatrics, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Abstract: Background and Aim This pilot study aimed to explore the feasibility and effects of auricular acupuncture called NADA, according to the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association principles. Effects of NADA on stress, anxiety and sleep has been reported. Given the high levels of stress, anxiety, and psychological distress commonly experienced by parents of infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the study sought to determine whether NADA could serve as a stress-relieving intervention. Method The pilot study was conducted as an observational cross-sectional study for 6 months from October 2019. The "Nada in NICU" pilot project involved 41 parents (33 women and 8 men) who received between 3-16 NADA interventions during their child's NICU hospitalization. Data were collected through a questionnaire assessing sleep, stress/restlessness, and physical well-being. Participants were given possibility to add free text comments in the questionnaire regarding their experiences of receiving NADA treatment. Quantitative data were analyzed using mixed regression, while qualitative comments underwent thematic analysis to identify recurring themes. Findings Results indicated a statistically significant reduction in stress, sleep disturbances, and physical discomfort post-NADA intervention, with a mean difference in sleep scores of - 1.951. Qualitative feedback generated an overall theme "An increased feeling of calmness" and two themes: "A psychological booster," reflecting parents´ experiences of enhanced mental clarity and emotional regulation, and "Bodily calmness," highlighting improved physical relaxation and sleep quality. Parents universally regarded NADA as a relevant and beneficial intervention during their NICU stay.
Keywords: NADA auricular acupuncture, NICu, stress, Parents, Sleep, Physical discomfort
Received: 20 Mar 2025; Accepted: 02 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Haslund-Thomsen, Svelle, Skoda, Horskjaer and Germund Nielsen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Helle Haslund-Thomsen, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.