title: Effect of tactile kinesthetic stimulation on preterm infants' weight and length of hospital stay in Khartoum, Sudan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of 7 days tactile kinesthetic stimulation (TKS) on preterm infants' weight and hospital stays in Khartoum State, Sudan.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a quasi-experimental study, it was conducted in 4 hospitals between January and June 2013, Khartoum, Sudan, and it involved 160 preterm infants randomly assigned into the case and control groups (80 neonates in each). Preterm infants in the control group received routine nursing care, while preterm infants in the case group received TKS for 3 periods, 15 minute per day for 7 constitutive days, in addition to routine care. Data was collected using a structured self-designed and validated questionnaire, checklist, and weighting scale. Weight gain and hospital stay were compared between the 2 groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over the constitutive 7 days, the case group gained significantly more weight (1071 gm versus 1104 gm) compared with the control group (1077 gm versus 1084 gm) (1084.55±90.74) who gained only 6.9 gm within the same 7 days without TKS treatment. The mean difference in weight gain was significant (p=0.00). The hospital stay for preterm infants in the case group was significantly shorter (18.05±9.36 versus 25.47±10.25; p=0.00).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tactile kinesthetic stimulation for preterm infants has a beneficial effect on weight gain and earlier discharge from hospital, which are sequentially efficient and cost effective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Albaha University, PO Box 1988, Albaha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-mail. ragy254@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ragaa G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Gaafer I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Suliman
authors.forename: Walyeldin A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Elfakey
authors.forename: Karimeldin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Salih
authors.forename: Ehab I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: El-Amin
authors.forename: Waled A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Khalid E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Khalid
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D049628:Body Size; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007902:Length of Stay; D013397:Sudan; D014110:Touch