TY - JOUR
T1 - Stable preterm infants gain more weight and sleep less after five days of massage therapy
AU - Dieter, John N.I.
AU - Field, Tiffany
AU - Hernandez-Reif, Maria
AU - Emory, Eugene K.
AU - Redzepi, Mercedes
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2003/9
Y1 - 2003/9
N2 - Objective: To examine the effects of 5 days of massage therapy on the weight gain and sleep/wake behavior of hospitalized stable preterm infants. Methods: Massage therapy (body stroking/passive limb movement for three 15-minute periods per day) was provided to 16 preterm neonates (mean gestational age, 30.1 weeks; mean birth weight, 1359 g), and their weight gain, formula intake, kilocalories, stooling, and sleep/wake behavior were compared with a group of 16 control infants (mean gestational age, 31.1 weeks; mean birth weight, 1421 g). Results: The massage group averaged 53% greater daily weight gain than the control group. The massage group spent less time sleeping at the end of 5 treatment days than the control group and more time in the drowsy state. Conclusions: Healthy, low-risk preterm infants gained more weight and slept less with just 5 days of massage, in contrast to 10 days in previous studies. Results support the continued use of massage as a cost-effective therapy for medically stable preterm infants.
AB - Objective: To examine the effects of 5 days of massage therapy on the weight gain and sleep/wake behavior of hospitalized stable preterm infants. Methods: Massage therapy (body stroking/passive limb movement for three 15-minute periods per day) was provided to 16 preterm neonates (mean gestational age, 30.1 weeks; mean birth weight, 1359 g), and their weight gain, formula intake, kilocalories, stooling, and sleep/wake behavior were compared with a group of 16 control infants (mean gestational age, 31.1 weeks; mean birth weight, 1421 g). Results: The massage group averaged 53% greater daily weight gain than the control group. The massage group spent less time sleeping at the end of 5 treatment days than the control group and more time in the drowsy state. Conclusions: Healthy, low-risk preterm infants gained more weight and slept less with just 5 days of massage, in contrast to 10 days in previous studies. Results support the continued use of massage as a cost-effective therapy for medically stable preterm infants.
KW - Behavior
KW - Massage therapy
KW - Preterm infants
KW - Weight gain
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U2 - 10.1093/jpepsy/jsg030
DO - 10.1093/jpepsy/jsg030
M3 - Article
C2 - 12904452
AN - SCOPUS:0042421992
VL - 28
SP - 403
EP - 411
JO - Journal of Pediatric Psychology
JF - Journal of Pediatric Psychology
SN - 0146-8693
IS - 6
ER -