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Am J Perinatol 2013; 30(09): 731-738
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1332801
Original Article
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

The Efficacy of Massage on Preterm Infants: A Meta-Analysis

Li Wang
1   Neonatal Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, P. R. China
,
Jun Li He
2   Department of Urology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, P. R. China
,
Xian Hong Zhang
1   Neonatal Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, P. R. China
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

11 August 2012

03 October 2012

Publication Date:
15 January 2013 (online)

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Abstract

Objective To determine whether massage could help preterm infants improve weight gain, discharge from the hospital earlier, and promote the neurobehavioral development, a meta-analysis was conducted.

Study Design MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Dissertation Abstracts, and the Cochrane Library were searched up to January 2012. There were no language restrictions.

Results In all, 611 articles were retrieved and 17 studies were eligible. Massage intervention improved daily weight gain by 5.32 g (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.15, 6.49, p < 0.00001) and reduced length of stay by 4.41 days (95% CI 2.81, 6.02, p < 0.00001). No significant differences yielded on the scores of Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale.

Conclusion Massage therapy may be a safe and cost-effective practice to improve weight gain and decrease the hospital stay of clinically stable preterm infants. However, the association between massage and neurobehavioral development is still elusive. Future investigations with a larger sample size and strict protocol are required to confirm the effects of massage on the preterm infants.

Keywords

massage - preterm infant - weight gain - hospital stay - NBAS
 

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