Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 22, 2025
Assessment of the Efficacy of An Osteopathic Treatment in Infants with Biomechanical Impairments to Suckling
Published on: February 5, 2019
Effects of osteopathic treatment versus static touch on heart rate and oxygen saturation in premature babies: A
Andrea Manzotti1, Francesco Cerritelli2, Erica Lombardi3
1RAISE Lab, Foundation COME Collaboration, Pescara, Italy; Division of Neonatology, "V. Buzzi" Children's Hospital, ASST-FBF-Sacco, Milan, Italy; Research Department, SOMA, Istituto Osteopatia Milano, Milan, Italy.
Insights
Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) positively impacts preterm infants, decreasing heart rate and increasing oxygen saturation. This study investigated the immediate physiological effects of OMT in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Osteopathic medicine
- Physiological monitoring
Background:
- Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) has shown promise in preterm infants.
- Previous research has not investigated the immediate physiological effects of OMT on heart rate (HR) and partial oxygen saturation (SpO2).
- This study addresses that gap by examining OMT's acute impact on these vital signs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the immediate effects of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) on physiological parameters in preterm infants.
- To compare the effects of OMT with a static touch control intervention.
- To evaluate changes in heart rate (HR) and partial oxygen saturation (SpO2) following OMT.
Main Methods:
- Ninety-six preterm infants were randomly assigned to either OMT or a static touch group.
- Each session included a 5-minute baseline recording, a 10-minute intervention (OMT or static touch), and a 5-minute post-intervention recording.
- Primary outcomes were changes in HR and SpO2 from baseline.
Main Results:
- The OMT group showed a statistically significant decrease in heart rate (HR) post-intervention.
- The OMT group demonstrated a statistically significant increase in partial oxygen saturation (SpO2) post-intervention.
- No significant changes were observed in the static touch group.
Conclusions:
- A single osteopathic manipulative treatment session may induce beneficial physiological changes in preterm infants.
- OMT shows potential as a non-pharmacological intervention to support preterm infant well-being.
- Further research is warranted to explore the long-term effects and mechanisms of OMT in neonates.
Background:
Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) has been successfully tested in the context of preterm infants. No studies, however, have been conducted to investigate the OMT immediate effects on physiological measurements, such as partial oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate (HR). The purpose of the present study was to assess the effect of osteopathic treatment on SpO2 and HR values and to compare it with 10 min of static touch.
Materials And Methods:
Ninety-six preterm infants (41 male), aged 33.5 weeks (±4.3) with mean weight at birth of 2067gr (±929) were recruited from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the Buzzi Hospital in Milan, and randomly allocated to two groups: OMT and Static Touch. Each protocol session consisted of: a) 5-min Pre-touch baseline recording, b) 10-min touch procedure, c) 5-min post-touch recording. Primary and secondary outcomes were, respectively, the baseline changes of HR and SpO2.
Results:
The 2 × 2 repeated measure ANOVA for HR showed a statistically significant effect (F (1,94) = 5.34; p < 0.02), revealing that the OMT group decreases the HR value at T2 (p = 0.006). In contrast, SpO2 analysis showed an increase of SpO2 value where the OMT group demonstrated higher values at T2 (p = 0.04).
Conclusion:
Results from the present study suggest that a single osteopathic intervention may induce beneficial effects on preterm physiological parameters.
Trial Registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03833635 - Date: February 7, 2019.
Related Concept Videos
01:16Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Oxygen Therapy for Respiratory Failure
Oxygen therapy is vital in increasing and maintaining blood oxygen levels in PAH patients. As a result, it aids in reducing fatigue,...
01:19Special considerations while measuring oxygen saturation
Ensuring accuracy in vital sign recordings while prioritizing patient comfort and minimizing anxiety is...
01:24Pulse Oximetry
Purpose
Average SpO2 values are greater than 95%. If the readings fall below 90%, it indicates that...
01:14Fetal Circulation
Two umbilical arteries transport blood from the fetus to the placenta. At the placenta, the blood absorbs oxygen and nutrients while simultaneously eliminating waste products. This oxygen-enriched and nutrient-rich blood then returns to the fetus through one...
01:19Cardiac Output I:Effect of Heart Rate on Cardiac Output
Cardiac output (CO) refers to the total amount of blood ejected by one of the ventricles in liters per minute (L/min). In a resting adult, CO ranges from 5 to 6 L/min, adjusting according to the body's metabolic requirements.
Effect of Heart Rate on Cardiac Output
Cardiac output adapts to metabolic demands during stress, physical activity, or illness. The autonomic nervous system regulates heart rate via the sinoatrial node. The parasympathetic nervous system decreases heart...