Authors

Ana Belén Manso Melgosa, Ruth Ortega Barriuso, Celia Peña Molinero, José Miguel de los Santos Izquierdo

Position

Enfermeros del Área de formación continuada del Complejo Asistencial Universitario de Burgos.

Contact address

Ana Belén Manso Melgosa. Complejo Asistencial Universitario de Burgos. Avenida del Cid, 96. 09005 Burgos.

Contact email: amanso@saludcastillayleon.es

Abstract

Objective: to determine the influence of massage on the weight gain of premature newborns, in order to incorporate this influence into clinical practice if the scientific evidence supports it.
Material and method: a review study, based on a structured question according to the PICO strategy. A search was conducted in the Pubmed, Cochrane, Cuiden, Cinahl, Lilacs and Tripdatabase databases. Reelvant MeSH were identified and limits were established (five years and randomized clinical trials). 19 clinical trials were selected for critical reading and assessment by the CASPe tool.
Results: the final selection included 10 randomized clinical trials. In several studies, the weight increase was not significant. The interventions in the studies reviewed were: therapeutic touch, Schneider´s technique, acupuncture and meridian massage, different massage modalities combined with kinesthetic stimulation, and massage according to Vimala protocol. The side effects deribed from the intervention were not of much importance. Only in two studies the intervention was carried out by the parents after training.
Conclusions: even though of note is the rectification in the review of the investigations of some of the biases found in a previous systematic review (consideration of energy intake as a variable), studies continue to show methodological weaknesses (small samples, lack of blinding, etc.), and therefore it is not possible to establish whether the massage is a causal factor or a contributing factor to the weight gain.

Keywords:

CASPe; massage; neonate; PICO strategy; prematurity; research; reviewweight

Versión en Español

Título:

La influencia del masaje en el aumento de peso en recién nacidos prematuros