Comparing I LOVE U and field massages on weight and gastrointestinal function among NICU-admitted preterm infants: a clinical trial.

Objectives: Preterm infants often face multiple challenges due to immature organ systems. Given the clinical status of infants, massage can serve as a non-pharmaceutical intervention. This study evaluates the effects of I LOVE U and field massages on weight and gastrointestinal function in NICU-admitted preterm infants.

Methods: A controlled trial was conducted with 84 preterm infants. The infants were randomized into two intervention groups (I LOVE U and field massages) and a control group. The control group received routine care, while the intervention groups received routine care plus either I LOVE U or field massages. Massages were administered for 15 min twice daily before feeding for 5 days. Gastrointestinal variables were measured, including residual gastric volume, abdominal circumference, defecation frequency, and weight before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 22.

Results: The study findings revealed no significant differences in weight or gastrointestinal function indices among the groups over the study period.

Conclusions: The findings demonstrated that infants in the massage intervention group exhibited better weight status and lost less weight than the controls post-intervention. Moreover, the I LOVE U massage technique enhanced defecation in infants, suggesting better impacts on gastrointestinal factors. Further interventional studies, however, are recommended to explore the effects of this specific massage technique.

Trial registration: This trial was registered with the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials under Reg. NO. IRCT20221220056884N1.