Infant massage: Difference between revisions

A 2013 [[Cochrane review]] of massage therapy for babies less than 6 months of age who were born at term found that the evidence was insufficient to support its use.<ref name=Cat2013>{{Cite journal|lastlast1=Bennett|firstfirst1=Cathy|last2=Underdown|first2=Angela|last3=Barlow|first3=Jane|date=2013-04-30|title=Massage for promoting mental and physical health in typically developing infants under the age of six months|journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews|volume=2013 |issue=4|pages=CD005038|doi=10.1002/14651858.CD005038.pub3|issn=1469-493X|pmid=23633323|pmc=8078453}}</ref> A 2004 Cochrane review looking at massage therapy for pre-term and low birth weight was insufficient to justify its use.<ref name = Vickers>{{cite journal |vauthors=Vickers A, Ohlsson A, Lacy JB, Horsley A |title=Massage for promoting growth and development of preterm and/or low birth-weight infants |journal=Cochrane Database Syst Rev |volume= |issue=2 |pages=CD000390 |year=2004 |volume=2004 |pmid=15106151 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD000390.pub2 |url= |editor1-last=Vickers |editor1-first=Andrew|pmc=6956667 }}</ref>

Reviews of the literature have found no significant risks for adverse events with massage theory with either full term or pre-term infants.<ref name=Cat2013 /><ref name=Vickers/> One study found that the use of certain oils in traditional societies such as [[mustard oil]] or [[olive oil]] might adversely affect pre-term newborn [[human skin|skin]] barrier function, while using other oils that are [[linoleate]]-enriched such as [[sunflower seed oil]] may improve the integrity and permeability of the skin.<ref name=Cat2013 /><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Mullany | first1 = LC | last2 = Darmstadt | first2 = GL | last3 = Khatry | first3 = SK | last4 = Tielsch | first4 = JM | title = Traditional Massage of Newborns in Nepal: Implications for Trials of Improved Practice | journal = Journal of tropicalTropical pediatricsPediatrics | volume = 51 | issue = 2 | pages = 82–6 | year = 2005 | pmid = 15677372 | pmc = 1317296 | doi = 10.1093/tropej/fmh083 }}</ref>