ABSTRACT
To determine the effect of 7 days tactile kinesthetic stimulation [TKS] on preterm infants' weight and hospital stays in Khartoum State, Sudan. This is a quasi-experimental study, it was conducted in 4 hospitals between January and June 2013, Khartoum, Sudan, and it involved 160 preterm infants randomly assigned into the case and control groups [80 neonates in each]. Preterm infants in the control groupreceived routine nursing care, while preterm infants in the case group received TKS for 3 periods, 15 minute per day for 7 constitutive days, in addition to routine care. Data was collected using a structured self-designed and validated questionnaire, checklist, and weighting scale. Weight gain and hospital stay were compared between the 2 groups. Over the constitutive 7 days, the case group gained significantly more weight [1071gm versus 1104gm] compared with the control group [1077gm versus 1084gm] [1084.55 +/- 90.74] who gained only 6.9gm within the same 7 days without TKS treatment. The mean difference in weight gain was significant [p=0.00]. The hospital stay for preterm infants in the case group was significantly shorter [18.05 +/- 9.36 versus 25.47 +/- 10.25; p=0.00]. Tactile kinesthetic stimulation for preterm infants has a beneficial effect on weight gain and earlier discharge from hospital, which are sequentially efficient and cost effective