title: Effects of baby massage on neonatal jaundice in healthy Iranian infants: A pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of baby massage on transcutaneous bilirubin levels and stool frequency of healthy term newborns.
  
  
  METHODS
  This Pilot study was conducted on 50 healthy newborns in Valiasr Hospital of IKHC. The infants were randomly allocated to two treatment (massage) and control group. The massage group received massage therapy (according to Touch Therapy) for four days from the first day postnatal while the control group received routine care. Main variable studied were transcutaneous bilirubin level (TCB) and stool frequency which were compared in two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 50 newborns in the study 25 in each group (50%). There was a significant difference in the TCB levels between two groups (p=0.000) with those in the massage group having lower bilirubin levels. As for the stool frequency there was a significant difference in two groups on the first day showing more defecation in the control group (p=0.042) which on the consequent days was not significant and the frequencies were almost similar.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Massage group had a lower transcutaneous billirubin levels compared to the control group, thus, these pilot results indicate that massaging the newborns can be accompanied by a lower bilirubin level in the healthy term newborn.
authors.affiliation: Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Department of Neonatology, Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Research center, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hosein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dalili
authors.affiliation: Midwifery, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Sanaz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sheikhi
authors.affiliation: Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Research center, Valiasr Hospital, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mamak
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shariat
authors.affiliation: Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Research center, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: edith.hagh@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Haghnazarian
mesh_terms: D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood*; D003672:Defecation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007492:Iran; D007567:Jaundice, Neonatal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008405:Massage / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012015:Reference Standards; D047929:Term Birth / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001663:Bilirubin
keywords: Baby massage; Neonatal jaundice; Transcutaneous bilirubin