Transcutaneous feeding : the effect of massage with coconut oil on weight gain in preterm newborns

Abstract EN

Background : transcutaneous feeding has been suggested for infants with very low birth-weight.

In this study, we evaluated the effect of massage with coconut oil on weight gain in preterm newborns.

Patients and Methods : this quasi-experimental study was conducted from August 2007 to March 2008 in Mashhad Medical University in Mashhad, IR Iran.

Seventy-three newborns were randomly assigned to 3 groups: A (massage with coconut oil), B (massage only), and C (control group).

The weights of the newborns in all 3 groups were measured daily by a nurse who was blinded to the study.

Data were plotted and analyzed using the SPSS 14 graphical software.

Analysis of variance (ANOVA), Kreskas-Wallis test, and paired t test analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of massage with coconut oil on weight gain.

Results: there was a significant difference between the weight gain in the 3 groups after the intervention.

The results of Turkey test indicated that there was a significant difference between the results in groups A and B and groups A and C, but there was no significant difference between those in groups B and C.

Conclusions : massage with coconut oil has a positive effect on weight gain in preterm newborns.