Turned out to massage in preterm infants may increase weight. it is as already described in the article "Massage Increases Weight Premature Infants" derived from "Jurnal Kesehatan Anak".
NEW YORK - Researchers at the Medical University of Miami reported that therapeutic massage can gently increase the pressure-weight preterm infants by improving the movement of the abdomen.
Clinical trials have noted an increase in weight premature infants greater after the massage for 5 to 10 days, although food intake and sleep time did not increase, Dr. Miguel A. Diego along with his colleagues assert in the Journal of Pediatrics.
To determine the cause of the beneficial effects of this massage, Diego group randomly selected 48 preterm infants to undergo massage therapy pressure-soft, lightweight non-therapeutic massage, or in massage. Electrical activity of the heart, and stomach assessed before, during, and after undergoing the first day of action at trial.
Gentle massage therapy is done on the baby's stomach, with enough pressure to change skin color from pink to white on white infant or minor grooves on the skin. Light massage done the same as massage therapy, but did not cause changes in skin color or indentation on the skin.The researchers noted that the group of infants who received massage therapy increases weight gain 27 percent greater than other groups, whereas food intake was not affected. Further analysis showed that weight gain associated with improvement in abdominal movements.