title: The Comparison of the Effects of Massaging and Rocking on Infantile Colic.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infantile colic is a painful condition in the first months of infancy. This study was carried out with the aim of testing the hypothesis that massage treatment has a clinically relevant effect on this condition.
  
  
  METHODS
  This randomized clinical trial was conducted among 100 infants of < 12 weeks of age with infantile colic. They were randomly assigned to either infant massage (n= 50) or rocking groups (n= 50). In the massage group, trained individuals taught the parents of the infants the massage technique and gave them a brochure. Rocking group parents was recommended to rock their infants three times a day for 1 week. Parents recorded the pattern of crying (numbers, length, and severity of crying). After 1 week of intervention, data were analysed using t-test, Chi square test, and repeated measurement analysis of variance (P< 0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences were not observed in infant and mother demographic information. Before intervention, the mean of total number, length, and severity of crying were 6.12 (1.76) time/day, 4.97 (1.37) hour/day, and 6.60 (1.54) in the massage group and 6.96 (2.9) time/day, 3 (1.31) hour/day, and 5.98 (2.22) in the rocking group, respectively. After 1 week of intervention, the mean difference of total number, length, and severity of crying were 4.08 (1.83) time/day, 2.81 (1.77) hour/day, and 2.9 (2.37) in the massage group and 0.56 (2.28) time/day, 0.27 (1.09) hour/day, and 0.02 (1.64) in the rocking group, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This trial of massage treatment for infantile colic showed statistically significant or clinically relevant effect in comparison with the rocking group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nahidi
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, International Branch of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Nafiseh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gazerani
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
authors.forename: Parsa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yousefi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali Reza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Abadi
keywords: Colic; infant; massage; rocking