A pilot randomised controlled trial on the effectiveness of infant massage on the acceptance, commitment and awareness of influence in parents of babies with Down syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The emotional state of parents of babies with Down syndrome affects their babies' development and their parent-child bonding. The aim for this study was to conduct a pilot randomised controlled evaluation of the effect of infant massage on parents of babies with Down syndrome. METHODS: This pilot study compared two groups (intervention and control), each with 16 parents of babies with Down syndrome. Indices of acceptance, engagement and awareness of influence were measured at two different time points (pre-test and after 5 weeks) using the 'This Is My Baby' Interview. The allocation of families to each group was randomised. The experimental group performed infant massage, applied by the parents, for 5 weeks, every day for at least 10 min. The massage protocol was based on the methodology created by Vimala McClure. Parents in the control group received the intervention after completion of the study. RESULTS: The indices of acceptance, commitment and awareness of influence improved in the experimental group and in the control group. The 2 × 2 mixed-model analysis of variance indicates a statistically significant group-by-time interaction for all indices (P < 0.001), which was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The application of infant massage, by parents to their babies, improves the rates of acceptance, commitment and awareness of influence of parents of babies with Down syndrome in the short term.

Corrigendum to "Effectiveness of Massage Therapy and Abdominal Hypopressive Gymnastics in Nonspecific Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2018/3684194.].

Effectiveness of Massage Therapy and Abdominal Hypopressive Gymnastics in Nonspecific Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: There are a great number of interventions in physiotherapy, but with little evidence of their effectiveness in chronic low back pain. Therefore, this study assesses effectiveness of Massage Therapy and Abdominal Hypopressive Gymnastics and the combination of both to decrease pain and lumbar disability while increasing joint mobility and quality of life in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. METHODS: A randomized, single-blinded, controlled, clinical trial with sample (n = 27) was comprised of patients between 20 and 65 years, diagnosed with pain of mechanical origin characterized by having a duration of at least 12 weeks and no serious complications. Each group received 8 interventions of 30 minutes. RESULTS: Friedman ANOVA test obtained statistically significant differences of Oswestry, NRS, and Schober variables (p < 0.05) in the three measurements (pretest, posttest 1, and posttest 2), in each individual group. ANOVA Kruskal-Wallis test was used for comparison between groups, and Oswestry Disability values were significantly higher (p = 0.024) in the group receiving both treatments. CONCLUSION: Both individual groups reduce pain levels, improve disability, and increase the flexibility of the lumbar spine. The combination therapy provides greater benefits in terms of lumbar disability. This study is registered on March 8, 2016, with NCT02721914.

Tools assessment and diagnosis to infant colic: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Infant colic occurs between 10% and 40% of healthy born children in their first year of life. Its assessment is complex, and there are only a few instruments of appraisement and diagnosis. METHODS: Scientific articles located through a systematic review using the Pubmed, Scopus, Cochrane, PEDro, Dialnet, IME and Dialnet databases. Two researchers obtained data independently from relevant studies previously identified. Risk of bias was assessed according to the methods recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration, with reporting following the preferred reported items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines and evaluating their methodological quality based on the EMPRO scale. RESULTS: Four tools were obtained for valuation of infant colic. Parental diary of infant cry and fuss behaviour, Crying Pattern Questionnaire, Infant Colic Scale and, lastly, a validity of the Turkish version of the Infant Colic Scale. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of the existing tools involves the need to design and validate new assessment scales for this clinical frame.

Cellulite's aetiology: a review.

Cellulite, highly prevalent among women, represents a serious problem for many of them, and one of their main aesthetic concerns. It is difficult to pinpoint its aetiology and physiology/pathophysiology, as there are many factors that are involved in it, affect it, and many processes that are taking place simultaneously and sequentially. Our objective is therefore, to review the scientific scholarship on cellulite to explore the causes of its origin. We carried out a preliminary search of the Medline, Cochrane, and Web of Knowledge databases covering the period from 1978 to April 2011. As there is no specific key word for the phenomenon at hand, we used the following descriptors: adipose tissue, subcutaneous fat, subcutaneous tissue, connective tissue, skin, skin disease and dermis. This resulted in a retrieval of 26 articles contributing to relevant information on the aetiology of cellulite. As a result of our first research, we concluded that cellulite is a physiological phenomenon or at least, that it has a physiological origin, which is characteristic of women, and multi-causal, with the coexistence of a number of factors that trigger, perpetuate, or exacerbate it. The outstanding factors include, among others, connective tissue architecture, oestrogen action, microvascular alterations and certain genetic and hormonal characteristics. All of them provide us with future and novel clues to cellulite treatment, and is necessary to take some or all of these factors into account in developing an effective therapy. However, we are aware of the necessity of further investigation in this field.

Intra- and inter-observer reliability of the application of the cellulite severity scale to a Spanish female population.

BACKGROUND: 'Hexsel, dal'Forno and Hexsel Cellulite Severity Scale' (CSS) was developed to evaluate cellulite with an objective and easy to apply tool. Objective Study CSS intra- and inter-observer reliability in a Spanish female population by evaluating patients' cellulite through photographs of their overall gluteofemoral zone as opposed to its creators who distinguished between buttocks and thigh. METHODS: Cellulite Severity Scale was applied to 27 women, evaluating gluteofemoral cellulite, differentiating between left and right. Evaluations were made by three expert examiners each at three times with a 1-week separation. Variables were the five CSS dimensions (number of evident depressions; depth of depressions; morphological appearance of skin surface alterations; grade of laxity, flaccidity, or sagging skin; and the Nürnberger and Müller classification scale), and the overall CSS score. Cronbach's alpha, intra-class correlation and item total correlation were analysed. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha values were 0.951 (right) and 0.944 (left). In the intra-observer reliability analysis, intra-class correlation coefficient ranged from 0.993 to 0.999 (P < 0.001) and in the inter-observer analysis were 0.937 (right) and 0.947 (left) (P < 0.001). Item total correlation showed all dimensions to be needed except grade of laxity, flaccidity or sagging skin (0.959 right; 0.955 left). CONCLUSION: Cellulite Severity Scale has excellent reliability and internal consistency when used to evaluate cellulite on the buttocks and back of the thighs considered together. Nevertheless, the dimension grade of laxity, flaccidity or sagging skin does not contribute positively to the final consistency of the scale. This dimension needs to be analysed in greater depth in future studies.