When medicine and cuddles don’t do the job when our kids are ill, many parents feel powerless and at their wits’ end. But would you go as far as having someone stick needles into your little one to help them feel better?

According to acupuncture expert Tamzin Freeman, children and babies can benefit from such treatment and parents need not fear for their safety as long as they go to a professional with the necessary experience.

She advised parents to go for a trained practitioner who has experience of performing acupuncture on very young children.

Among the ailments Ms Freeman claimed could be helped by acupuncture are tummy and skin problems, asthma, teething, certain ear and eye conditions, and – wait for it – SLEEP ISSUES.

“With children, less is more, and they respond very well to acupuncture,” she commented, adding that it works well alongside ongoing medical treatment.

Ms Freeman’s opinion is in line with a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics, which concluded that acupuncture, when performed by a trained practitioner, is generally safe for young children.

Even where patients experienced adverse events associated with acupuncture, most of them were mild. Where serious side effects were suffered, it was usually because of substandard practice, the scientists reported.

But even if you don’t feel comfortable with someone prodding your precious little one with needles, acupuncture may be a good option for pregnant women suffering from various ailments.

Pelvic girdle pain, morning sickness and nausea, and depression can all be successfully treated with acupuncture, scientists have claimed. It can also be used to try to turn a baby who is in a breech or back-to-back position shortly before birth, while some women who go over their due date resort to acupuncture in the hope of bringing on labour (probably alongside drinking gallons of raspberry leaf tea…).

Where do you stand on acupuncture? Has it worked for you during pregnancy? Would you let your child have acupuncture?