Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, India.
Indian Pediatr. 2010 Sep;47(9):771-6.
Infant massage was first introduced in China in 2nd century BC. Massaging the newborn has been a tradition in India and other Asian countries since time immemorial. Various oil-based preparations have been used depending on the regional availability. There has been a recent surge in this ancient art particularly as a therapy among parents and professionals in the Western world. Evidence exists supporting the benefits of touch and massage therapy. We reviewed the literature to look at the various techniques of providing massage, its benefits, possible mechanism of action and adverse effects. The review suggests that massage has several positive effects in terms of weight gain, better sleep-wake pattern, enhanced neuromotor development, better emotional bonding, reduced rates of nosocomial infection and thereby, reduced mortality in the hospitalized patients. Many studies have described the technique and frequency of this procedure. Massage was found to be more useful when some kind of lubricant oil was used. Harmful effects like physical injury and increased risk of infection were encountered when performed inappropriately. The review also discusses the different hypotheses put forward regarding the mechanism of action. As of now there are very few studies describing the long term impact of neonatal massage.
婴儿按摩于公元前 2 世纪首次引入中国。自古以来，印度和其他亚洲国家就有给新生儿按摩的传统。根据地区的不同，使用了各种油基制剂。近年来，这种古老的艺术在西方世界的父母和专业人士中特别流行，尤其是作为一种治疗方法。有证据支持触摸和按摩疗法的好处。我们查阅了文献，以了解提供按摩的各种技术、其益处、可能的作用机制和不良反应。综述表明，按摩在体重增加、更好的睡眠-觉醒模式、增强神经运动发育、更好的情感联系、降低医院感染率以及因此降低住院患者死亡率方面有几个积极的影响。许多研究都描述了这种操作的技术和频率。当使用某种润滑剂时，按摩效果更明显。如果操作不当，可能会造成身体损伤和增加感染风险等有害影响。综述还讨论了关于作用机制的不同假设。到目前为止，描述新生儿按摩长期影响的研究很少。
