How Preterm Infants Can Benefit from Massage Therapy in Rocky Point NY by Chris Lontok

A study done in the United States has proven that stable preterm infants benefit from massage therapy with much needed weight gain. It would be good to find out if therapeutic massage can likewise benefit stable preterm infants the same way in in Rocky Point NY as well as Suffolk County, Rocky Point, Manorville, Miller Place, Mount Sinai, Port Jefferson, Ridge, Yapank, Shoreham, Weeding River, Riverhead, Setauket, East Setauket, Port Jefferson Station, Coram, Seldon, Farmingville, Brookhaven, Middle Island, Medford, and Sound Beach.

John N.I. Dieter, PhD; Tiffany Field, PhD; Maria Hernandez-Reif, PhD; Eugene K. Emory, PhD; and Mercedes Redzepi, Psy.D. of the Touch Research Institute of the University of Miami School of Medicine; and the Center for Prenatal Assessment and Human Development of Emory University conducted the study titled “Stable Preterm Infants Gain More Weight and Sleep Less after Five Days of Massage Therapy.” Supported by Johnson and Johnson, the study was published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology in 2003.

The study covered 32 preterm infants with an average age of three weeks. All of them were in stable condition, healthy and considered low risk. The infants were divided into a control group and a massage therapy group. Only the infants in the second group received 15 minutes of massage daily for five successive days. Every session started with five minutes of tactile stimulation followed by five minutes of kinetic stimulation and ending with five more minutes of tactile stimulation. All the participants’ formula intake, kilocalories, bowel movements, weight gain and sleeping and waking patterns were monitored daily.

When the monitored figures were compared, no significant difference was seen in the daily formula intake, kilocalories and bowel movements of both the massage therapy group and the control group. However, the preterm infants in the massage therapy group showed more weight gain and less sleeping time. They gained 26 more grams per day or 53 percent more weight as compared to their control group counterparts.

Massage therapy is known by many to be beneficial not only to stable preterm infants but even more so to adults. This means that parents of these infants can themselves benefit from relaxing massage to ease their stress and anxiety over the condition of their babies. They are definitely in need of such stress relief in order to stay healthy and have the required strength and energy to take good care of their children. It is said that pregnant women who undergo pregnancy massage therapy have less chances of having premature deliveries. Perhaps parents can take this into account for their next babies in Rocky Point NY.

In the meantime, parents can avail of therapeutic massage. They can try out reflexology massage therapy, deep tissue massage therapy, sports massage therapy and Swedish massage therapy by finding a respected professional massage spa in Rocky Point NY that serves the residents of Suffolk County, Rocky Point, Manorville, Miller Place, Mount Sinai, Port Jefferson, Ridge, Yapank, Shoreham, Weeding River, Riverhead, Setauket, East Setauket, Port Jefferson Station, Coram, Seldon, Farmingville, Brookhaven, Middle Island, Medford, and Sound Beach.