Application and effectiveness of Auriculotherapy in the context of child health: an integrative literature review

Objectives: to analyze the application of auriculotherapy in the health context of children (zero to 12 incomplete years) and the scientific evidence of its effectiveness in relation to the proposed therapeutic purposes. Methods:integrative literature review, carried out in November 2023, in the databases and virtual library MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde/BIREME, COCHRANE Library, and Scientific Electronic Library Online, using the controlled descriptor "Auriculotherapy" and the uncontrolled descriptor "Children", with no time restriction on publication. For analysis, we used the reference of evidence accuracy. Results: ten articles were selected from Cuba (n=4), Taiwan (n=3), China (n=2), and Iran (n=1), which were published in the last 15 years and predominantly dealt with school-age children. Those with strong evidence are related to the themes: treatment of onychophagia, myopia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The auricular points with the highest recurrence of use were: Shenmen, heart, and eye. Conclusion:this therapy has been shown to be effective as an adjunct for the treatment of onychophagia, ADHD, and myopia in the school-age pediatric population, and or the other therapeutic purposes identified in the review, despite the promising results, further research is needed to affirm its effectiveness.