Effects of massage in prematures at the neonatology unit of San Jose Hospital

Background: In Chile every year 259.069 childs were borned, 6 percent of them are prematures. This group has the highest neonatal mortality and morbidity, spending prolonged hospitalizations and monetary resources for the public health of Chile. Objective: This investigation looks for the effects of massage as a complementan/ therapy to the common treatment of our hospitalized prematures babies at the Neonatal Unit of San José Hospital. Method: We performed a clinic assay of cases and controls that included 40 babies under 37 weeks of gestation and less than 1700 g which had no pathologies. They were classified by weight and gestational age at the beginning of the assay and compared by weight and gestational age at the end of the study. Parents were trained in shiatsu massage and they applied it to their babies 15 minutes, 3 times per day, 6 every other days during 2 weeks. We registered the initial weight and then daily and hospitalization days in both groups. Statistical analysis was performed by test t student for data no paired. Results: The group of babies stimulated by massage, increased their weight 14 g per day in average more than the control group (p=0.0001) and spent 15 days less of hospitalization (p=0.0169). Conclusions: The shiatsu massage produces a fast gain of weight in newborns prematures babies. Applying this therapy to babies under 1000 g, we can save $1,216,000 per baby, just only for hospitalization concept and a potential gain in psychomotor development.