The Effect of Massage Therapy on Weight and Length of Staying Premature Infant at Neonatal Intensive Care Units of Sohag city

Abed Elataief, Sabra Mohamed Ahmed; Bahgat, Rahma Solieman; Thabet, Amina Mohamed; Mahfouz, Faten Fathy Ahmed

doi:10.21608/tsnj.2017.71842

The Effect of Massage Therapy on Weight and Length of Staying Premature Infant at Neonatal Intensive Care Units of Sohag city

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Assistant Lecturer of Pediatric Nursing- Faculty of Nursing, Sohag University

² Professor of Pediatric Nursing Faculty of Nursing, Tanta University

³ Assistant Professor of Pediatric Nursing- Faculty of Nursing, Sohag University

⁴ Lecturer of Pediatric Nursing- Faculty of Nursing - Suez Canal University

10.21608/tsnj.2017.71842

Abstract

In premature infants, weight gain becomes the main criterion for hospital discharge. Research has shown that massage therapy has led to weight gain in preterm infants when moderate pressure massage was provided. The present studyaimed to determine the effect of massage therapy on weight and length of staying of premature infant at Neonatal Intensive Care Units. The total sample included sixty low birth weight premature infants, who were selected from the Neonatal Intensive Care Units of Sohag Affiliated to the ministry of health hospitals. Two tools were used: Two tools were designed by the researcher, Tool I: Socio-demographic characteristics of premature infants and their feeding assessment of premature infant.Tool II: Measuring premature infant weight and recording premature infant daily physical assessment from one to seven days and measuring length stying at Neonatal Intensive Care Units.Results: The study revealed significant relation between infant massage and weight and length of staying of premature infant at Neonatal Intensive Care Units. Conclusion: massage therapy has positive effect on weight of premature infants and short thier length of staying at the hospital. Recommendation nurses who work in Neonatal Intensive care unit should receive training program on massage therapy to improve their practice which reflect on the general condition of premature infants.

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