文本框: TOUCH THERAPY AND WEIGHT GAIN IN PRETERM INFANTS: THE MMMHMC EXPERIENCE
Bravo L, Matias A
Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMHMC)
Batac, Ilocos Norte, Philippines

Objective: To determine whether preterm infants exposed to massage experience improved weight gain.
Methods: Infants born at MMMHMC, a rural government tertiary hospital between June-November, 2000 with gestational ages less than 37 weeks were included as subjects . Critically ill neonates were excluded. The subjects were randomly assigned into two groups. One group received touch therapy (T) and the other group without touch therapy (NT). Touch therapy was done by the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) staff and each therapy lasted for 15 minutes every shift making a total of 45 minutes per day. Daily weights were recorded before feeding every morning using the same weighing scale until discharge. Variables were analyzed using using the t-test and chi-square test.
Results: This   study included 20 preterms of 30-36 weeks. 10 infants were assigned to group T and 10 to group NT. Gestational age ranged from 30-36 weeks and 32-36 weeks, respectively. Male to female ratio was 1:1 and 1:1.5, respectively. Daily weight gain was significantly greater in group T than group NT (p=0.00065). The mean daily weight gain for group T was 17.37 grams (99% CI:11.61, 33.14). There was no weight gain for group NT but rather a mean weight loss of 5 grams per day. Weight gain is dependent on therapy use (p=0.0014) and correlation C is 0.63.
Conclusion: This local study has shown that touch therapy is a simple no cost method of interventional stimulation to improve weight gain in preterm infants.
1928