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Clinical trials

Massage Therapy Reduces Hospitalization Time in Newborns with Hyperbilirubinemia

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Investigators at Babol University of Medical Sciences, Iran, conducted a randomized clinical trial to compare the effects of massage, chicory bath, and phototherapy on bilirubin levels in term newborns. The study, published in BMC Pediatrics, found that massage therapy combined with phototherapy was more effective in reducing the length of hospitalization and increasing the frequency of defecation in infants with hyperbilirubinemia.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study involved 90 newborns with hyperbilirubinemia, who were randomly assigned to three groups: massage, chicory bath, and control (phototherapy only).
  • The primary outcome measure was the length of hospitalization, which was significantly shorter in the massage group (2.77 ± 0.73 days) compared to the chicory bath group (3 ± 0.91 days) and the control group (3.37 ± 0.93 days).
  • The massage group also experienced a higher frequency of defecation on the third and fourth days, which was statistically significant (P = 0.02).
  • The researchers concluded that massage therapy combined with phototherapy was more effective in reducing the length of hospitalization and improving defecation frequency in newborns with hyperbilirubinemia.

Statistics:

  • 90 newborns were enrolled in the study, with 30 in each of the massage, chicory bath, and control groups.
  • The length of hospitalization was significantly shorter in the massage group (2.77 ± 0.73 days) compared to the chicory bath group (3 ± 0.91 days) and the control group (3.37 ± 0.93 days) (P = 0.03).
  • The frequency of defecation on the third and fourth days was significantly higher in the massage group than in the chicory bath and control groups (P = 0.02).
  • The change in bilirubin levels over time was significant regardless of the group (P = 0.000).

Sources:

  • Comparison of effect of massage or chicory bath on bilirubin levels in term newborns undergoing phototherapy: a randomized clinical trial. BMC Pediatrics, 2025;25(1):775.
  • Babol University of Medical Sciences. Health Research Institute, Infertility and Reproductive Health Research Center.

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