| Overall, massage therapy is safe for otherwise healthy preterm
infants.
The Cochrane review did not find any adverse effects on the infants
receiving massage. Massage generally does not interfere with the other
activities of care in an NICU.
Caveat: The studies that demonstrated increased weight gain in
massaged infants included only preterm healthy newborns, who were
without complications. To be included in most of the studies they had no congenital heart disease, no
gastrointestinal disorders, no recent surgeries, were not receiving supplemental oxygen
via a ventilator, and were not being fed intravenously. Some
studies included infants of mothers with known illicit drug exposure
while others did not. In order to accurately measure caloric
intake, the infants in the studies were exclusively bottle fed.
Infants with the following conditions may not be able to
tolerate massage:
-
Congenital malformations
-
Cardiac abnormalities
-
Recent surgery
-
Serious infections
-
Central line
-
Umbilical lines
-
Intravenous feedings
-
Use of supplemental
oxygen
-
Continuous nasogastric
feedings
-
Skin rashes or lesions
-
Gastric or intestinal
disorders
|
-
Micropremies or very low
birthweight infants
-
Use of a ventilator or
CPAP machine
-
Intrauterine drug
exposure
-
Frequent drug dosing
-
Apnea and bradycardia
-
Necrotising enterocolitis
-
Phototherapy for biliruben
-
Hydrocephalous
-
Care giver with skin rash
or open lesion
-
Excessive regurgitation
|
It is advisable to talk with the doctor in charge of the infant's
care to decide when, if, and what type of massage may be appropriate.
|
