title: Benefits of massage therapy for infants with symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This randomized controlled pilot trial was conducted to evaluate the clinical efficacy of massage therapy (MT) for relief of symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The hypothesis was that, when compared to infants who received nonmassage therapy, infants who received MT would display fewer GERD symptoms, greater weight gain, greater amount of sleep, lower cortisol levels before and after treatment, and lower daily (area under the curve [AUC]) cortisol secretion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 36 infants born at term, 4-10 weeks of age at enrollment, healthy except for a diagnosis of GERD by their pediatrician, and with a score of at least 16 on the Infant Gastroesophageal Reflux Questionnaire-Revised (I-GERQ-R). Infants were randomized to receive either MT or a nonmassage sham treatment in their homes for 30 min twice a week for 6 weeks. Data collectors and parents were blind to study condition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GERD symptoms decreased in both groups and weight increased. Pretreatment salivary cortisol levels decreased significantly over time in the massage group while increasing in the nonmassage group. Daily cortisol level also decreased in the massage group and increased in the nonmassage group, but the difference was not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MT administered by a professional therapist did not affect symptoms of GERD differently than a sham treatment but did decrease infant stress as measured by cortisol. Research focusing on stress reduction in infants with GERD and multimodal treatments addressing GERD symptoms may yield the most effective treatment.
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, College of Nursing, Denver, CO, USA madalynn.neu@ucdenver.edu.
authors.forename: Madalynn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Zhaoxing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics, Denver, Colorado.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Workman
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, College of Nursing, Denver, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Cassandra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marcheggiani-Howard
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO, USA Gastrointestinal Eosinophilic Diseases Program, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora Colorado.
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Furuta
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Mark L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Laudenslager
mesh_terms: D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D008405:Massage; D012890:Sleep; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: GERD; gastroesophageal reflux; infant; massage therapy; randomized controlled trial