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Preterm infant massage therapy research: a review.

Tiffany Field¹, Miguel Diego, Maria Hernandez-Reif

¹Touch Research Institutes, University of Miami Medical School, Miami, FL 33101, United States. tfield@med.miami.edu

Infant Behavior & Development

|February 9, 2010

Summary

Preterm infant massage therapy, including passive limb movement, promotes significant weight gain and improved bone density. Oils and maternal delivery enhance these benefits, potentially reducing hospital stays and costs.

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Area of Science:

Neonatal care
Developmental pediatrics
Massage therapy research

Background:

Preterm infants often experience suboptimal growth and development.
Massage therapy is explored as an intervention to improve outcomes in preterm infants.
Current understanding of underlying mechanisms for massage benefits requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To review existing studies on preterm infant massage therapy.
To explore factors influencing massage effectiveness, such as pressure, passive movement, and delivery method.
To examine the role of oils and potential physiological mechanisms in massage-induced weight gain.

Main Methods:

Systematic review of preterm infant massage therapy studies.
Analysis of studies involving moderate pressure massage and passive limb movement.

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Evaluation of research on maternal versus therapist delivery and the use of various oils.

Main Results:

Moderate pressure massage and passive limb movement significantly increased preterm infant weight gain.
Passive movement also enhanced bone density.
Oils (coconut, safflower, synthetic) improved weight gain and triglyceride absorption; synthetic oils increased vagal activity.
Maternal delivery was effective in some studies.

Conclusions:

Preterm infant massage therapy, particularly with oils and maternal involvement, offers significant benefits including weight gain and potentially shorter hospital stays.
Despite benefits, widespread adoption is limited, possibly due to incomplete understanding of mechanisms.
Further research is needed to elucidate the physiological pathways, such as vagal activity and hormonal changes, that mediate weight gain.