Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
BMC Complement Med Ther. 2024 Oct 7;24(1):359. doi: 10.1186/s12906-024-04660-6.
When young children experience recurrent respiratory infections, caregivers face the challenge of preventing new episodes whilst maintaining close rapport with their children. Pediatric massage, such as pediatric Tuina, entails soft massage of the skin, administered by trained providers. This non-pharmaceutical measure is used to prevent new respiratory infections in China. The aim of this study is to deepen our understanding of caregivers' experiences and perceptions of providing pediatric Tuina treatment to their children with recurrent respiratory tract infections.
A qualitative study, based on semi-structured interviews, was conducted in accordance with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist. Sixteen mothers from Southern China, whose children had received pediatric Tuina for recurrent respiratory tract infections, participated online. Analysis was conducted according to the principles of reflexive thematic analysis, using the NVivo qualitative research software.
The overarching theme was "Fostering embodied care with children". Caregivers assessed pediatric Tuina by hearing others' experiences of pediatric Tuina, as well as observing the manipulations on their child's body and their bodily reactions during pediatric Tuina sessions. Caregivers also closely observed children's bodily changes after pediatric Tuina sessions. Embodied attachment between children and adults was nurtured through the pediatric Tuina. Compared to other treatments or medical consultations, children were more relaxed and more involved in embodied care, which involved direct skin touching and verbal communication from the pediatric Tuina provider. Children also took the initiative to bring pediatric Tuina into their family life, by asking caregivers to perform it on them and mimicking the manipulations on the caregivers' hand.
Pediatric Tuina served as a means of interaction between children and adults, fostering an embodied care on both a physical and emotional level. Beyond its potentially preventive effect on recurrent respiratory tract infections, pediatric Tuina could be a support for parents of children with recurrent or chronic disease at home.
当幼儿反复出现呼吸道感染时，照顾者面临着既要预防新发病例，又要与孩子保持密切关系的挑战。儿科推拿，如小儿推拿，是指由经过培训的提供者对皮肤进行轻柔的按摩。这种非药物措施在中国被用于预防新的呼吸道感染。本研究旨在深入了解照顾者对为反复呼吸道感染患儿提供小儿推拿治疗的体验和看法。
本研究采用基于半结构式访谈的定性研究方法，并按照《定性研究报告的统一标准》清单进行。来自中国南方的 16 位母亲参加了本次在线研究，这些母亲的孩子曾因反复呼吸道感染接受过小儿推拿治疗。分析按照反思性主题分析的原则进行，使用 NVivo 定性研究软件。
总体主题是“与孩子一起培养有身体参与的护理”。照顾者通过听取他人对小儿推拿的经验，观察对孩子身体的操作以及孩子在小儿推拿过程中的身体反应，来评估小儿推拿。照顾者还密切观察孩子在小儿推拿治疗后的身体变化。通过小儿推拿，在孩子和成人之间培养了有身体参与的依恋关系。与其他治疗或医疗咨询相比，孩子在小儿推拿治疗中更加放松，更多地参与到有身体参与的护理中，包括来自小儿推拿提供者的直接皮肤接触和言语交流。孩子还主动将小儿推拿纳入家庭生活，要求照顾者对他们进行推拿，并模仿在照顾者手上的操作。
小儿推拿是儿童和成人之间互动的一种方式，在身体和情感层面上培养了有身体参与的护理。除了对反复呼吸道感染可能有预防作用外，小儿推拿还可以作为反复或慢性疾病患儿家长在家中的一种支持。
