An interventional study of Acupressure in Hyperbilirubinemia, sponsored by Yuzuncu Yil University. Completed at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 38 Weeks to 42 Months. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-27.
Sponsored by Yuzuncu Yil University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Health services research
This study is a randomized controlled trial conducted to evaluate the effect of acupressure application on hyperbilirubinemia in newborns. The study examined the effect of regular acupressure applications to specific points on serum bilirubin levels in newborns at risk of developing physiological jaundice in the first days of life. By comparing bilirubin levels between the experimental and control groups, the potential benefits of acupressure in reducing the severity of jaundice and supporting bilirubin metabolism were investigated. The findings suggest that acupressure can be used as a complementary method in neonatal care.
One of the most common problems encountered in the neonatal period is neonatal jaundice, which develops due to an increase in indirect bilirubin (Özdemir and Yılmaz, 2019). Jaundice (hyperbilirubinemia) is defined as the yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes due to the accumulation of bilirubin in the skin and mucous membranes of newborns (Kılıç and Yılmaz, 2021). Jaundice is a common condition seen in 60% of term infants and more than 80% of preterm infants (Muniyappa and Kelley, 2020). Hyperbilirubinemia (HB), which is frequently seen in newborns, especially in the indirect form, is a mild health problem in most cases (Olcar, 2019; Yılmaz, 2019). HB in newborns usually progresses cephalocaudally (from head to toe); it starts in the face and spreads to the body as serum bilirubin levels increase (Turkish Neonatology Association [TND], 2022). Symptoms such as lethargy and feeding difficulties may occur in infants with severe HB. If not treated promptly, serious neurological complications such as kernicterus may occur. Early diagnosis, close monitoring, and treatment are vital to prevent potential damage in newborns (Muniyappa and Kelley, 2020).
Various treatment methods have been developed to reduce bilirubin levels. Among these methods, the most commonly used are blood exchange, phototherapy, and drug treatments (Garg et al., 2019; Kılıç and Yılmaz, 2021). To support neonatal HB treatment, studies evaluating the effectiveness of non-pharmacological and complementary applications, in addition to pharmacological methods, have also been conducted (Öztürk, 2025; Coşkun and Karakoç., 2025; Wu et al., 2022).
Acupressure is a complementary treatment method that aims to control symptoms by applying pressure to specific points on the meridians (İskender and Çalışkan, 2020). During the application, sensitive pressure is applied to specific points on the body using the hands and fingers, and in some cases, special tools; this aims to regulate energy flow and support the body's natural healing processes (Dincer et al., 2022; Harris et al., 2020). These stimuli, applied through touch, can activate receptors in the skin of infants with HB and be transmitted to the brain centers via reflex pathways. This can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and the vagus nerve, accelerating bowel movements, contributing to the regulation of the digestive system, and helping to expel meconium more quickly (Roth and Sullivan, 2006). In this regard, it is crucial to correctly identify the appropriate acupressure points during the treatment process (Bayraktar, 2023).
The application of acupressure has been used in various clinical settings in the neonatal and pediatric populations, and its effects on different physiological outcomes have been investigated. The effects of acupressure on pain (Altıntaş, 2023; Oğul, 2023; Özkan and Balcı, 2018), infantile colic (Özgören, 2021), and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (Balcı, 2018) in the pediatric group have been examined in various studies. However, it has been determined that studies evaluating the effect of acupressure on HB in newborns (Wu et al., 2022) are quite limited. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of acupressure applied to newborns on HB. In this context, the potential contributions of acupressure to reducing serum bilirubin levels and supporting the treatment process will be examined, and it is aimed that the findings will provide scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of acupressure as a complementary approach in the management of hyperbilirubinemia and guide clinical practice.
81 studies on the registry are indexed under Hyperbilirubinemia; 11 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 60 is below the median of 81 across 50 interventional studies indexed under Hyperbilirubinemia.
Browse Hyperbilirubinemia studies →Yuzuncu Yil University is the lead sponsor of 78 studies on the registry; 20 are open to participants now.
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Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Newborns assigned to the intervention group receive standard acupressure at predetermined acupuncture points (ST36 - Zusanli and KI1 - Yongquan) by a trained practitioner 0 and 12 hours after birth. Each session lasts approximately 4 minutes. Total serum bilirubin levels are measured 24 hours after birth. All newborns continue to receive routine newborn care and feeding according to the unit protocol.
Behavioral: Acupressure
Newborns assigned to the control group receive routine neonatal care and feeding according to unit protocol without any acupressure intervention. Total serum bilirubin levels are measured at the 24th hour of life.
Acupressure intervention
Total Serum Bilirubin Level
Measurement of total serum bilirubin level to evaluate the effect of acupressure on neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.
Time frame: 24 hours after birth
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Ran from May 2025 to primary completion in Feb 2026, 9 months.
Of 22 interventional studies with no phase under Hyperbilirubinemia, half reached primary completion within 9 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 5 and three quarters within 19. This study's 9 months is close to that.
Completion moved once since we started tracking on Sep 25, 2026: Aug 2026 → May 2026, on Oct 27, 2026.
Earlier changes are on the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Yuzuncu Yil University