The Effect of Massage on Premature Infants

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To determine the effects of massage therapy on growth, development, hormones, immune function, hepatic function, hematopoietic function and sleep pattern of preterm infants. METHODS: Thirty-one preterm infants of less than 35 weeks gestational age, who were admitted to Eulji Medical College Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit between August 1998 and May 1999, and were in the state without mechanical ventilation or oxygen therapy, and hemodynamically stable with no acute disease state non congenital anomaly, and who were also fed by oral route or gastric tube, were enrolled in this study. The randomly selected massage group(15 neonates) received three 15-minute periods of tactile and kinesthetic stimulation daily for 7 days, and the control group(16 neonates) received general nursing care. We measured gastrin, thyroid function test, serum cortisol, CH50, IgG, IgM, CBC and liver function test in both groups before and after the study. During observation for 7 days, neonate behaviors were recorded every hour for 10sec using the analysis of 6 sleep-wake states. RESULTS: Although the massage group showed slight differences in blood level of Thyroid stimulating hormone, CH50, hemoglobin, hematocrit and body weight and alertness as compared with control group, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Several positive effects of massage on the preterm infants that have been reported previously must be reevaluated.