Sifeng acupuncture may improve appetite, weight, zinc status, and treatment speed in children with anorexia, but the supporting evidence is very uncertain.
Researchers systematically searched seven databases for randomized controlled trials published up to October 2022 that compared Sifeng acupuncture with traditional Chinese or Western medicines for pediatric anorexia. They assessed study bias using a standardized Cochrane tool, combined outcomes through meta-analysis, and evaluated evidence certainty using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework.
Across the included studies, Sifeng acupuncture appeared to produce better overall treatment responses, reduce food-intake problems and leptin levels, shorten the time until normal eating resumed, and increase body weight and blood zinc levels compared with medication. Reported safety findings were reassuring, although weaknesses in participant allocation, blinding, and reporting meant that confidence in most findings was very low.
