title: Stable preterm infants gain more weight and sleep less after five days of massage therapy.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Touch Research Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine, USA. jdieter@emory.edu
authors.forename: John N I
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Dieter
authors.forename: Tiffany
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Field
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernandez-Reif
authors.forename: Eugene K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Emory
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Redzepi
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D008405:Massage; D012890:Sleep; D015430:Weight Gain