Laser acupuncture (LA) becomes more and more relevant in neonates and infants. With near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), a continuous and noninvasive measurement of tissue oxygenation is possible. Aim was to investigate, whether the application of LA was associated with any changes in regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rcSO_2) in term and preterm neonates. The study included 20 neonates (12 males, 8 females). The Large Intestine 4 acupuncture point (LI 4, Hegu) was stimulated by a microlaser needle (10 mW, 685 nm laser needle EG GmbH, Germany) for 5 minutes, bilaterally. All neonates underwent polygraphic recording during undisturbed daytime sleep, including heart rate (HR), peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO_2), and measurement of nasal flow. Using NIRS, rcSO_2 was measured continuously. Cerebral fractional tissue oxygen extraction (cFTOE) was calculated. We did not observe any significant changes in SpO_2 and HR values during the whole observation period. However, there was a significant decrease in rcSO_2 (P = 0.003) within postintervention period, accompanied by a significant increase in cFTOE (P = 0.010) in postintervention period.
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