NCCAM Grant: UM Studies Effects of Massage on Premature Infants
The
National Center for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine granted University of Miami Medical School’s Tiffany Field funds to conduct an eight-year study on massage therapy’s effect in weight gain for preterm babies.
Field explained in her application that, “a number of studies have documented an average of 47 percent greater weight gain in preterm neonates following massage therapy. In the proposed continuation of this study preemies would be provided daily massages three times a day for 10 days.”
This NCCAM grant concludes next spring, after studying 120 preterm infants who experience health complications due to premature births.
Field hopes that her study, Massaging Preterm Infants Enhances Growth, will conclude that preemies increase daily weight gain when they receive massage therapy treatments. This results in earlier hospital discharge dates, “thus demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of the intervention.”