The effect of massage by mothers on growth in healthy full term infants
Makaleler > Tam Makale · 2009
Yazarlar: Bal Yılmaz, Hatice, Conk, Zeynep
Journal of Human Sciences; Vol 6, No 1 (2009); 969-977, Uluslararası, 2009
Özet
The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of massage by mothers on growth in healthy full term infants.The research sample consisted of 60 healthy full term infants assigned with randomized controlled sampling technique. The control group consisted of 30 healthy infants who were cross-matched with a massage group of infants for gender, gestational age, birth weight, birth length and date of birth. Mothers in the massage group administered 15 minutes of massage to their infants daily for 14 weeks, starting on day 15 ±2 of life. Body weight and height were measured in the two groups at birth and at the end of 4th weeks and 16th weeks corrected gestational age. The study was conducted at a public health clinic in an urban area of İzmir, Turkey between August 2003 and May 2004. Body weight and height gains in the massage group after 2 weeks and after 14 weeks of massage were higher than the control group. These differences in weight and height parameters were statistically significant. However it was determined that the male infants were the source of these differences. This therapy would appear to be an easy, effective way for parents to enhance their infants’ growth. Massage application may have a potential to improve the growth in infants.