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Study examining weight gain, length of stay (LOS), and neonatal sepsis among very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants that were massaged and given kinesthetic stimulation (KS) by their mothers after formal instruction.

This study published by Mendes et al. in Journal of Perinatolgy 2008 purposes that previous studies have shown that tactile stimulation from “Kangaroo Mother Care” increases growth, decreases NICU length of stay (LOS), and decreases mortality risk. Kangaroo Care is commonly defined as skin-to-skin contact between the baby front and the mother's chest. The authors therefore hypothesized that maternal massage using tactile-kinesthetic stimulation may also have similar or better outcomes to tactile stimulation by itself.

This studies  study enlisted 104 out of 818 preterm infants admitted over a 2 year period. The study population initially included (1) 137 infants with birth weight >750 and <1500g. (2) Gestational age <32 weeks, but 33 were subsequently excluded. Only 93 out of the 104 infants completed the study. The infants were randomized to two groups: the mothers of the control group (CG) infants received no instruction on how to interact with their infants, but where not prevented from stimulating/interacting with them. The intervention group (IG) mother’s where instructed to give their infants tactile stimulation on the face and limbs and to kinesthetic stimulate by flexing/extending the limbs for 15 minutes 4 times per day.

•  The authors found no difference in weight gain between the Control Group and Intervention Group.

•  The authors found no significant difference in the total Length of Stay (LOS) between the IG and CG (42 days and 49 days, respectively) (p=0.084), but did find higher probability of earlier discharge among the IG (p=0.023).

•  Unexpectedly, the authors found that late-onset sepsis was greater in the CG than the IG (p<0.01). They suggest that the kinesthetic stimulation may in some manner stimulate the immune system thus reducing infection rates.

• Lastly, they found that infants born to mothers whom delivered by C-Section had a greater probability of being discharged sooner from the hospital.   

   

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