Preterm infant massage therapy research: a review
Open accessAbstract
In this paper, preterm infant massage therapy studies are reviewed. Massage therapy has led to weight gain in preterm infants when moderate pressure massage was provided. In studies on passive movement of the limbs, preterm infants also gained significantly more weight, and their bone density also increased. Research on ways of delivering the massage is also explored including using mothers versus therapists and the added effects of using oils. The use of mothers as therapists was effective in at least one study. The use of oils including coconut oil and safflower oil enhanced the average weight gain, and the transcutaneous absorption of oil also increased triglycerides. In addition, the use of synthetic oil increased vagal activity, which may indirectly contribute to weight gain. The weight gain was associated with shorter hospital stays and, thereby, significant hospital cost savings. Despite these benefits, preterm infant massage is only practiced in 38% of neonatal intensive care units. This may relate to the underlying mechanisms not being well understood. The increases noted in vagal activity, gastric motility, insulin and IGF-1 levels following moderate pressure massage are potential underlying mechanisms. However, those variables combined do not explain all of the variance in weight gain, highlighting the need for additional mechanism studies.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Moderate pressure massage in preterm infants increases infant growth and reduces length of stay in the NICU, with small effect sizes.
“Two recent reviews of studies with preterm infants demonstrated that moderate (but not gentle) pressure massage can increase infant growth and reduce length of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) [128,129], although effect sizes were small.”
From Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond. (2018) · cites this paper as [128]
The “Moderate Pressure is Critical” section reports greater weight gain with moderate rather than light pressure. “Massage Therapy Studies” reports greater weight gain and hospital stays 3–6 days shorter for preterm infants receiving massage. The review does not characterize these findings as having small effect sizes. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThere are more studies of massage with infants than with toddlers and preschoolers, and more evidence for benefits of massage in high-risk groups such as preterm infants and infants of depressed mothers.
“Across outcomes, there are more studies of massage with infants as opposed to with toddlers and preschoolers, and more evidence for the benefits of massage in high-risk groups, such as preterm infants [128,129] and infants of depressed mothers [130].”
From Benefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond. (2018) · cites this paper as [128]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
(1982) · Trends in Neurosciences · doi:10.1016/0166-2236(82)90076-5 · Cited by 9,148 · see citing works
Lee, J. A. H. (1986) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.1986.03370120114036 · Cited by 2,252 · see citing works
Nutritional Regulation of the Insulin-Like Growth Factors*
Thissen, J., Ketelslegers, J., & Underwood, L. E. (1994) · Endocrine Reviews · doi:10.1210/edrv-15-1-80 · Cited by 1,578 · see citing works
Tactile/Kinesthetic Stimulation Effects on Preterm Neonates
Field, T. M., Schanberg, S. M., SCAFIDI, F. A., Bauer, C. R., Vega‐Lahr, N., Garcia, R., Nystrom, J., & Kuhn, C. M. (1986) · PEDIATRICS · doi:10.1542/peds.77.5.654 · Cited by 553 · see citing works
Self-citationMassage for promoting growth and development of preterm and/or low birth-weight infants
Vickers, A., Ohlsson, A., Lacy, J., & Horsley, A. (2004) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd000390.pub2 · Cited by 293 · see citing works
Vagal Activity, Gastric Motility, and Weight Gain in Massaged Preterm Neonates
Diego, M., Field, T. M., & Hernandez‐Reif, M. (2005) · The Journal of Pediatrics · doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2005.02.023 · Cited by 237 · see citing works
Self-citationMassage stimulates growth in preterm infants: A replication
SCAFIDI, F. A., Field, T. M., Schanberg, S. M., Bauer, C. R., Tucci, K., Roberts, J., Morrow, C. E., & Kuhn, C. M. (1990) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/0163-6383(90)90029-8 · Cited by 173 · see citing works
Self-citationMoyer‐Mileur, L. J., Brunstetter, V., McNaught, T. J., Gill, G., & Chan, G. M. (2000) · PEDIATRICS · doi:10.1542/peds.106.5.1088 · Cited by 171 · see citing works
IV. Current concepts of vagal efferent projections to the gut
Chang, H. Y., Mashimo, H. L., & Goyal, R. K. (2003) · American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology · doi:10.1152/ajpgi.00478.2002 · Cited by 168 · see citing works
Stable Preterm Infants Gain More Weight and Sleep Less after Five Days of Massage Therapy
Dieter, J. N. (2003) · Journal of Pediatric Psychology · doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsg030 · Cited by 157 · see citing works
Moderate versus light pressure massage therapy leads to greater weight gain in preterm infants
Field, T. M., Diego, M., Hernandez‐Reif, M., Deeds, O., & Figueiredo, B. (2006) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2006.07.011 · Cited by 151 · see citing works
Self-citationRodríguez, J. I., Garcı́a-Alix, A., Palacios, J., & Paniagua, R. (1988) · Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery · doi:10.2106/00004623-198870070-00014 · Cited by 147 · see citing works
Effect of physical activity on bone mineralization in premature infants
Moyer‐Mileur, L. J., Luetkemeier, M. J., Boomer, L., & Chan, G. M. (1995) · The Journal of Pediatrics · doi:10.1016/s0022-3476(95)70127-3 · Cited by 142 · see citing works
Massage therapy by mothers and trained professionals enhances weight gain in preterm infants
Ferber, S. G., Kuint, J., Weller, A., Feldman, R., Dollberg, S., Arbel, E., & Kohelet, D. (2002) · Early Human Development · doi:10.1016/s0378-3782(01)00249-3 · Cited by 142 · see citing works
Preterm infants show reduced stress behaviors and activity after 5 days of massage therapy
Hernandez‐Reif, M., Diego, M., & Field, T. M. (2007) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2007.04.002 · Cited by 137 · see citing works
Self-citationBONE MINERAL METABOLISM IN THE MICROPREMIE
Rigo, J., Curtis, M. D., Pieltain, C., Picaud, J., Salle, B. L., & Senterre, J. (2000) · Clinics in Perinatology · doi:10.1016/s0095-5108(05)70011-7 · Cited by 134 · see citing works
Diego, M., Field, T. M., Hernandez‐Reif, M., Deeds, O., Ascencio, A., & Begert, G. (2007) · Acta Paediatrica · doi:10.1111/j.1651-2227.2007.00476.x · Cited by 131 · see citing works
Self-citationMetabolic Bone Disease of Prematurity
Backström, M. C., Kuusela, A., & Mäki, R. (1996) · Annals of Medicine · doi:10.3109/07853899608999080 · Cited by 124 · see citing works
Insulin and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Increased in Preterm Neonates Following Massage Therapy
Field, T. M., Diego, M., Hernandez‐Reif, M., Dieter, J. N., Kumar, A. M., Schanberg, S. M., & Kuhn, C. M. (2008) · Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics · doi:10.1097/dbp.0b013e3181856d3b · Cited by 120 · see citing works
Self-citationLitmanovitz, I., Dolfin, T., Friedland, O., Arnon, S., Regev, R. H., Shainkin-Kestenbaum, R., Lis, M., & Eliakim, A. (2003) · PEDIATRICS · doi:10.1542/peds.112.1.15 · Cited by 119 · see citing works
Effects of tactile-kinesthetic stimulation in preterms: a controlled trial.
Mathai, S. S., Fernandez, A., Mondkar, J., & Kanbur, W. (2001) · PubMed · Cited by 111 · see citing works
Léger, J., Oury, J., Noël, M., Baron, S., Benali, K., Blot, P., & Czernichow, P. (1996) · Pediatric Research · doi:10.1203/00006450-199607000-00017 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
SCAFIDI, F. A., Field, T. M., Schanberg, S. M., Bauer, C. R., Vega‐Lahr, N., Garcia, R., Poirier, J. T., Nystrom, G. A., & Kuhn, C. M. (1986) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/0163-6383(86)90041-x · Cited by 107 · see citing works
Self-citationMcCall, R. B., & Green, B. L. (2004) · Child Policy Nexus · doi:10.1002/j.2379-3988.2004.tb00025.x · Cited by 106 · see citing works
Yakar, S., & Rosen, C. J. (2003) · Experimental Biology and Medicine · doi:10.1177/153537020322800302 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
Oil massage in neonates: an open randomized controlled study of coconut versus mineral oil.
Sankaranarayanan, K., Mondkar, J., Chauhan, M., Mascarenhas, B., Mainkar, A. R., & Salvi, R. Y. (2005) · PubMed · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Qualitative assessment of hospitalized patients' satisfaction with pain management
Sherwood, G. D., Adams-McNeill, J., Starck, P. L., Nieto, B., & Thompson, C. J. (2000) · Research in Nursing & Health · doi:10.1002/1098-240x(200012)23:6 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
Kajantie, E., Dunkel, L., Rutanen, E., Seppälä, M. T., Koistinen, R. A., Sarnesto, A., & ANDERSSON, S. M. (2002) · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · doi:10.1210/jcem.87.5.8457 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Massage Effects on Cocaine-Exposed Preterm Neonates
Wheeden, A., SCAFIDI, F. A., Field, T. M., Ironson, G. H., Valdeon, C., & Bandstra, E. S. (1993) · Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics · doi:10.1097/00004703-199310000-00005 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Self-citationKlauwer, D., Blum, W., Hanitsch, S., Rascher, W., Lee, P., & Kiess, W. (1997) · Acta Paediatrica · doi:10.1111/j.1651-2227.1997.tb08605.x · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Osorio, M., Torres, J., Moya, F. R., Pezzullo, J. C., Salafia, C. M., Baxter, R. C., Schwander, J., & Fant, M. E. (1996) · Early Human Development · doi:10.1016/0378-3782(96)01737-9 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Mothers’ depressed mood and anxiety levels are reduced after massaging their preterm infants
Feijó, L., Hernandez‐Reif, M., Field, T. M., Burns, W. J., Valley-Gray, S. A., & Simco, E. R. (2006) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2006.02.003 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Self-citation(2005) · PubMed · Cited by 63 · see citing works
Evidence for Exercise-Induced Bone Formation in Premature Infants
Nemet, D., Dolfin, T., Litmanovitz, I., Shainkin-Kestenbaum, R., Lis, M., & Eliakim, A. (2002) · International Journal of Sports Medicine · doi:10.1055/s-2002-20134 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Spontaneous Activity in Premature Infants Affects Bone Strength
Eliakim, A., Nemet, D., Friedland, O., Dolfin, T., & Regev, R. H. (2002) · Journal of Perinatology · doi:10.1038/sj.jp.7210820 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
The Effect of Non‐Nutritive Sucking on Plasma Insulin, Gastrin, and Somatostatin Levels in Infants
Marchini, G., Lagercrantz, H., FEUERBERG, Y., Winberg, J., & Uvnäs‐Moberg, K. (1987) · Acta Paediatrica · doi:10.1111/j.1651-2227.1987.tb10523.x · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Stimulation Programs for Preterm Infants
Field, T. M., Hernandez‐Reif, M., & Freedman, J. (2004) · Child Policy Nexus · doi:10.1002/j.2379-3988.2004.tb00024.x · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Self-citationTactile stimulation: Short‐ and long‐term benefits for pre‐term infants
de Rόiste, A., & Bushnell, I. (1996) · British Journal of Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.2044-835x.1996.tb00692.x · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Colonna, F., Pahor, T., de Vonderweid, U., Tonini, G., & Radillo, L. (1996) · Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism · doi:10.1515/jpem.1996.9.4.483 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Rozman, J., Bunc, M., & Zorko, B. (2004) · Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research · doi:10.1590/s0100-879x2004000300012 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Kalme, T., Loukovaara, M. J., Koistinen, H. K., Koistinen, R., Seppälä, M. T., & Leinonen, P. J. (2001) · The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology · doi:10.1016/s0960-0760(01)00089-9 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 7
- Field T Schanberg S Davalos M Malphurs J 1996 Massage with oil has more positive effects on newborn infants Pre and Perinatal Psychology Journal 11 73 78
- Kandel E Schwartz J Jessell T 2000 Principles in Neural Science 4th McGraw Hill New York
- Liu ChunLi 2005 The effect of touching on healthy infants' weight Journal of Huaihai Medicine 23 137
- Myburgh KH 1998 Exercise and peak bone mass: an update South African Journal of Sports Medicine 5 3 9
- Na Zhuo Hua Xie Hui Yun Huang Jian Hua 2005 The effect of infant massage on growth New Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 37 69 70
- Shi Li Xue Li Rong 2002 The clinical observation of touching towards the neonatal health's affection Journal of Henan University 21 26 27
- Zhai J Pan Xian R Hua JR 2001 The effect of massage on growth: a clinical study Journal of Sichuan continuing Education College of Public Health and Managerial Sciences 20 23
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Bhutta, Z. A., Das, J. K., Rizvi, A., Gaffey, M. F., Walker, N., Horton, S., Webb, P., Lartey, A., & Black, R. E. (2013) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(13)60996-4 · Cited by 3,093 · see citing works
Touch for socioemotional and physical well-being: A review
Field, T. M. (2010) · Developmental Review · doi:10.1016/j.dr.2011.01.001 · Cited by 663 · see citing works
Self-citationCloseness and separation in neonatal intensive care
Flacking, R., Lehtonen, L., Thomson, G., Axelin, A., Ahlqvist‐Björkroth, S., Morán, V. H., Ewald, U., Dykes, F., & the SCENE group (2012) · Acta Paediatrica · doi:10.1111/j.1651-2227.2012.02787.x · Cited by 497 · see citing works
Mentalizing homeostasis: the social origins of interoceptive inference
Fotopoulou, A., & Tsakiris, M. (2017) · Neuropsychoanalysis · doi:10.1080/15294145.2017.1294031 · Cited by 428 · see citing works
Massage therapy research review
Field, T. M. (2014) · Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice · doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2014.07.002 · Cited by 396 · see citing works
Self-citationBenefits of a bedtime routine in young children: Sleep, development, and beyond.
Mindell, J. A., & Williamson, A. A. (2018) · Sleep medicine reviews · doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2017.10.007 · Cited by 360 · see citing works
Bioactivity of essential oils and their volatile aroma components: Review
Shaaban, H. A., El-Ghorab, A. H., & Shibamoto, T. (2012) · Journal of Essential Oil Research · doi:10.1080/10412905.2012.659528 · Cited by 339 · see citing works
Hall, R. W., & Anand, K. J. S. (2014) · Clinics in Perinatology · doi:10.1016/j.clp.2014.08.010 · Cited by 276 · see citing works
Pediatric Integrative Medicine
McClafferty, H. H., Vohra, S., Bailey, M. L., Brown, M. L., Esparham, A. E., Gerstbacher, D., Golianu, B. J., Niemi, A., Sibinga, E. M. S., Weydert, J. A., et al. (2017) · PEDIATRICS · doi:10.1542/peds.2017-1961 · Cited by 155 · see citing works
Matricardi, S., Agostino, R., Fedeli, C., & Montirosso, R. (2013) · Acta Paediatrica · doi:10.1111/apa.12058 · Cited by 169 · see citing works
Dance on the Brain: Enhancing Intra- and Inter-Brain Synchrony
Basso, J. C., Satyal, M. K., & Rugh, R. (2021) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2020.584312 · Cited by 162 · see citing works
Brauer, J., Xiao, Y., Poulain, T., Friederici, A. D., & Schirmer, A. (2016) · Cerebral Cortex · doi:10.1093/cercor/bhw137 · Cited by 141 · see citing works
Preterm infants show reduced stress behaviors and activity after 5 days of massage therapy
Hernandez‐Reif, M., Diego, M., & Field, T. M. (2007) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2007.04.002 · Cited by 137 · see citing works
Self-citationThe effects of massage therapy in hospitalized preterm neonates: A systematic review
Álvarez, M. J. Á., Fernández, D., Gómez-Salgado, J. C., Rodríguez‐González, M. D., Rosón, M., & Lapeña, S. (2017) · International Journal of Nursing Studies · doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2017.02.009 · Cited by 118 · see citing works
Promoting Early Child Development With Interventions in Health and Nutrition: A Systematic Review
Vaivada, T., Gaffey, M. F., & Bhutta, Z. A. (2017) · PEDIATRICS · doi:10.1542/peds.2016-4308 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
Welch, M. G., Myers, M. M., Grieve, P. G., Isler, J. R., Fifer, W. P., Sahni, R., Hofer, M. A., Austin, J., Ludwig, R. J., & Stark, R. I. (2013) · Clinical Neurophysiology · doi:10.1016/j.clinph.2013.08.021 · Cited by 106 · see citing works
Breastfeeding Challenges and the Preterm Mother-Infant Dyad: A Conceptual Model
Lau, C. (2017) · Breastfeeding Medicine · doi:10.1089/bfm.2016.0206 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
The efficacy of massage on short and long term outcomes in preterm infants
Abdallah, B., Badr, L. K., & Hawari, M. (2013) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2013.06.009 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Sleep Disturbances in Newborns
Barbeau, D. Y., & Weiss, M. D. (2017) · Children · doi:10.3390/children4100090 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Review of Randomized Controlled Trials of Massage in Preterm Infants
Niemi, A. (2017) · Children · doi:10.3390/children4040021 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Morgan, B. E., Horn, A. R., & Bergman, N. (2011) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.06.018 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Pediatric Massage Therapy Research: A Narrative Review
Field, T. M. (2019) · Children · doi:10.3390/children6060078 · Cited by 105 · see citing works
Self-citationHigh-risk follow-up: Early intervention and rehabilitation
Novak, I., & Morgan, C. (2019) · Handbook of clinical neurology · doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-64029-1.00023-0 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Infant Neurobehavioral Development
Lester, B. M., Miller, R. J., Hawes, K., Salisbury, A. L., Bigsby, R., Sullivan, M. C., & Padbury, J. F. (2011) · Seminars in Perinatology · doi:10.1053/j.semperi.2010.10.003 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Cerritelli, F., Pizzolorusso, G., Ciardelli, F., Mola, E. L., Cozzolino, V., Renzetti, C., D’Incecco, C., Fusilli, P., Sabatino, G., & Barlafante, G. (2013) · BMC Pediatrics · doi:10.1186/1471-2431-13-65 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Metabolic Bone Disease in Premature Neonates: An Unmet Challenge
Chacham, S., Pasi, R., Chegondi, M., Ahmad, N., & Mohanty, S. B. (2019) · Journal of Clinical Research in Pediatric Endocrinology · doi:10.4274/jcrpe.galenos.2019.2019.0091 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Weighted Blanket Use: A Systematic Review
Eron, K., Kohnert, L., Watters, A., Logan, C., Weisner-Rose, M., & Mehler, P. S. (2020) · American Journal of Occupational Therapy · doi:10.5014/ajot.2020.037358 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Machine learning for human emotion recognition: a comprehensive review
Younis, E. M. G., Mohsen, S., Houssein, E. H., & Ibrahim, O. A. S. (2024) · Neural Computing and Applications · doi:10.1007/s00521-024-09426-2 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Gentle touch perception: From early childhood to adolescence
Croy, I., Sehlstedt, I., Wasling, H. B., Ackerley, R., & Olausson, H. (2017) · Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2017.07.009 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
Baby Massage Ameliorates Neonatal Jaundice in Full-Term Newborn Infants
Chen, J., Sadakata, M., Ishida, M., Sekizuka, N., & Sayama, M. (2011) · The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine · doi:10.1620/tjem.223.97 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Early nutrition impact on the insulin-like growth factor axis and later health consequences
Larnkjær, A., Mølgaard, C., & Michaelsen, K. F. (2012) · Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care · doi:10.1097/mco.0b013e328351c472 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Maternal touch and feed as critical regulators of behavioral and stress responses in the offspring
Walker, C. (2010) · Developmental Psychobiology · doi:10.1002/dev.20492 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Effects of Deep Pressure Stimulation on Physiological Arousal
Reynolds, S., Lane, S. J., & Mullen, B. (2015) · American Journal of Occupational Therapy · doi:10.5014/ajot.2015.015560 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
the FNI Trial Group, Welch, M. G., Hofer, M. A., Stark, R. I., Andrews, H., Austin, J., Glickstein, S. B., Ludwig, R. J., & Myers, M. M. (2013) · BMC Pediatrics · doi:10.1186/1471-2431-13-148 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Depressed and non-depressed mothers’ touching during social interactions with their infants
Mantis, I., Mercuri, M., Stack, D. M., & Field, T. M. (2018) · Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2018.01.005 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Self-citationEarly developmental care interventions of preterm very low birth weight infants
Ramachandran, S., & Dutta, S. (2013) · Indian Pediatrics · doi:10.1007/s13312-013-0221-y · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Morton, L. (2019) · Journal of Health Psychology · doi:10.1177/1359105319826354 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Effect of abdomen massage for prevention of feeding intolerance in preterm infants
Tekgündüz, K. Ş., Gürol, A. P., Apay, S. E., & Caner, İ. (2014) · The Italian Journal of Pediatrics/Italian journal of pediatrics · doi:10.1186/s13052-014-0089-z · Cited by 60 · see citing works
The Impact of Kangaroo Care on Premature Infant Weight Gain
Evereklian, M., & Posmontier, B. (2017) · Journal of Pediatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.pedn.2017.02.006 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Procedural pain heart rate responses in massaged preterm infants
Diego, M., Field, T. M., & Hernandez‐Reif, M. (2009) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2008.12.001 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Self-citationPotential underlying mechanisms for greater weight gain in massaged preterm infants
Field, T. M., Diego, M., & Hernandez‐Reif, M. (2011) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2010.12.001 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Self-citationWhite‐Traut, R. C., Rankin, K., Yoder, J., Liu, L., Vasa, R., Geraldo, V., & Norr, K. F. (2015) · Journal of Perinatology · doi:10.1038/jp.2015.11 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Touching matters: Embodiments of intimacy
Maclaren, K. (2014) · Emotion, space and society · doi:10.1016/j.emospa.2013.12.004 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Neural correlates of a single-session massage treatment
Sliz, D., Smith, A., Wiebking, C., Northoff, G., & Hayley, S. P. (2012) · Brain Imaging and Behavior · doi:10.1007/s11682-011-9146-z · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Effects of infant massage on jaundiced neonates undergoing phototherapy
Lin, C., Yang, H.-C., Cheng, C.-S., & Yen, C.-E. (2015) · The Italian Journal of Pediatrics/Italian journal of pediatrics · doi:10.1186/s13052-015-0202-y · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Effects of baby massage on neonatal jaundice in healthy Iranian infants: A pilot study
Dalili, H., Sheikhi, S., Shariat, M., & Haghnazarian, E. (2015) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2015.10.009 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Social touch: A new vista for developmental cognitive neuroscience?
Gliga, T., Farroni, T., & Cascio, C. J. (2018) · Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2018.05.006 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Advances in family-based interventions in the neonatal ICU
Welch, M. G., & Myers, M. M. (2016) · Current Opinion in Pediatrics · doi:10.1097/mop.0000000000000322 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Maternal touch predicts social orienting in young children
Reece, C., Ebstein, R., Cheng, X., Ng, T., & Schirmer, A. (2016) · Cognitive Development · doi:10.1016/j.cogdev.2016.05.001 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Cañete, T., Blázquez, G., Tobeña, A., Giménez‐Llort, L., & Fernández‐Teruel, A. (2014) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2014.11.004 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Rosa, V. L. L., Geraci, A., Iacono, A., & Commodari, E. (2024) · Children · doi:10.3390/children11111407 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Use of vegetable oils in dermatology: an overview
Sarkar, R., Podder, I., Gokhale, N., Jagadeesan, S., & Garg, V. K. (2017) · International Journal of Dermatology · doi:10.1111/ijd.13623 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Body-Centered Interventions for Psychopathological Conditions: A Review
Tarsha, M. S., Park, S., & Tortora, S. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02907 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Lu, L., Lan, S., Hsieh, Y., Lin, L., Chen, J., & Lan, S. (2020) · Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice · doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2020.101168 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Massage Improves Growth Quality by Decreasing Body Fat Deposition in Male Preterm Infants
Moyer‐Mileur, L. J., Haley, S., Slater, H., BEACHY, J. C., & Smith, S. L. (2012) · The Journal of Pediatrics · doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2012.08.033 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Co-sleeping as a proximal context for infant development: The importance of physical touch
Barry, E. S. (2019) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2019.101385 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Comforting Touch in the Very Preterm Hospitalized Infant
Smith, J. R. (2012) · Advances in Neonatal Care · doi:10.1097/anc.0b013e31826093ee · Cited by 45 · see citing works
The Effect of Upper Limb Massage on Infants’ Venipuncture Pain
Chik, Y.-M., Ip, W., & Choi, K. C. (2016) · Pain Management Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2016.10.001 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Taheri, P. A., Goudarzi, Z., Shariat, M., Nariman, S., & Matin, E. N. Z. (2017) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2017.11.002 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Effects of Infant Massage: A Systematic Review
Mrljak, R., Danielsson, A. A., Hedov, G., & Garmy, P. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph19116378 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Fallah, R., Karbasi, S. A., Golestan, M., & Fromandi, M. (2013) · Early Human Development · doi:10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2013.06.002 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Maternal touch and infant affect in the Still Face Paradigm: A cross-cultural examination
Lowe, J. R., Coulombe, P., Moss, N. C., Rieger, R. E., Aragón, C., MacLean, P. C., Caprihan, A., Phillips, J., & Handal, A. J. (2016) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2016.06.009 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
The effects of massage therapy on physical growth and gastrointestinal function in premature infants
Choi, H., Kim, S., Oh, J., Lee, M., Kim, S., & Kang, K. (2015) · Journal of Child Health Care · doi:10.1177/1367493515598647 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Physical contact in parent-infant relationship and its effect on fostering a feeling of safety
Yoshida, S., & Funato, H. (2021) · iScience · doi:10.1016/j.isci.2021.102721 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Reach out to one and you reach out to many: Social touch affects third‐party observers
Schirmer, A., Reece, C. E., Zhao, C., Ng, E. S. T., Wu, E., & Yen, S. (2014) · British Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjop.12068 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Lomanowska, A. M., & Melo, Á. I. (2015) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.05.017 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Raith, W., Marschik, P. B., Sommer, C., Maurer-Fellbaum, U., Amhofer, C., Avian, A., Löwenstein, E., Soral, S., Müller, W. D., Einspieler, C., et al. (2015) · BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12906-016-0984-5 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
The effect of massage with medium-chain triglyceride oil on weight gain in premature neonates.
Saeadi, R., Ghorbani, Z., & Moghaddam, A. S. (2015) · PubMed · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Meier, M., Unternäehrer, E., Dimitroff, S. J., Benz, A., Bentele, U. U., Schorpp, S. M., Wenzel, M., & Pruessner, J. C. (2020) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-020-71173-w · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Effects of infant massage on state anxiety in mothers of preterm infants prior to hospital discharge
Afand, N., Keshavarz, M., Seyedfatemi, N., & Montazeri, A. (2016) · Journal of Clinical Nursing · doi:10.1111/jocn.13498 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Social touch — a tool rather than a signal
Schirmer, A., Croy, I., & Schweinberger, S. R. (2022) · Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.101100 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Context Modulates Outcome of Perinatal Glucocorticoid Action in the Brain
de Kloet, E. R., Claessens, S. E. F., & Kentrop, J. (2014) · Frontiers in Endocrinology · doi:10.3389/fendo.2014.00100 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Caregiver–child proximity as a dimension of early experience
Barnett, W., Hansen, C. L., Bailes, L. G., & Humphreys, K. L. (2022) · Development and Psychopathology · doi:10.1017/s0954579421001644 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Automated Detection of Infant Holding Using Wearable Sensing
Yao, X., Plötz, T., Johnson, M., & de Barbaro, K. (2019) · Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive Mobile Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies · doi:10.1145/3328935 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Gonzalez, P. R., Pérez‐Cabezas, V., Chamorro-Moriana, G., Ruiz‐Molinero, C., Casares, A. M. V., & González-Medina, G. (2021) · Children · doi:10.3390/children8090758 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Eghbalian, F., Rafienezhad, H., & Farmal, J. (2017) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2017.05.002 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Schirmer, A., Cham, C., Zhao, Z., Lai, O., Lo, C., & Croy, I. (2022) · Physiology & Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113797 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Massage intervention for preterm infants by their mothers: A randomized controlled trial
Zhang, X., & Wang, J. (2019) · Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing · doi:10.1111/jspn.12238 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Haley, S., BEACHY, J. C., Ivaska, K. K., Slater, H., Smith, S. L., & Moyer‐Mileur, L. J. (2012) · Bone · doi:10.1016/j.bone.2012.07.016 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Effect of deep pressure input on parasympathetic system in patients with wisdom tooth surgery
Chen, H., Yang, H., Meng, L.-F., Chan, P.-Y. S., Yang, C., & Chen, H. (2016) · Journal of the Formosan Medical Association · doi:10.1016/j.jfma.2016.07.008 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
The right touch: Stroking of CT-innervated skin promotes vocal emotion processing
Schirmer, A., & Gunter, T. C. (2017) · Cognitive Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3758/s13415-017-0537-5 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Baumgartner, J. N., Quintana, D., Leija, L., Schuster, N. M., Bruno, K. A., Castellanos, J. P., & Case, L. K. (2021) · Journal of Pain · doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2021.07.009 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Field, T. M., Diego, M., Hernandez‐Reif, M., Figueiredo, B., Ezell, S., & Siblalingappa, V. (2010) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2009.12.006 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Self-citationLo, C., Chu, S. T., Penney, T. B., & Schirmer, A. (2020) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.09.037 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Field, T. M. (2017) · International Journal of Pediatrics and Neonatal Health · doi:10.25141/2572-4355-2017-2.0054 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Self-citationCheng, Y.-C., Chen, L.-L., Chang, Y.-S., Li, T., Chen, C.-J., & Huang, L. (2018) · Midwifery · doi:10.1016/j.midw.2018.03.010 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
A Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy and Safety of Using Oil Massage to Promote Infant Growth
Li, X., Zhong, Q., & Tang, L. (2016) · Journal of Pediatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.pedn.2016.04.003 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Namprom, N., Picheansathian, W., Jintrawet, U., & Chotibang, J. (2018) · Journal of Neonatal Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.jnn.2018.03.003 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Effect of Preterm Infant Massage by the Mother on the Mood of Mothers Having Preterm Infants
Lotfalipour, B., Tirgari, B., Pouraboli, B., & Mirzaee, M. (2019) · Journal of Chiropractic Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.jcm.2018.11.001 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Mercuri, M., Stack, D. M., Trojan, S., Giusti, L., Morandi, F., Mantis, I., & Montirosso, R. (2019) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2019.101347 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Keptner, K. M., Fitzgibbon, C. E., & O’Sullivan, J. (2020) · British Journal of Occupational Therapy · doi:10.1177/0308022620935061 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Higman, W., WALLACE, L. M., Law, S. M., Bartle, N. C., & Blake, K. (2014) · Journal of Neonatal Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.jnn.2014.09.001 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Shayani, L. A., & Marães, V. R. F. D. S. (2022) · World Journal of Pediatrics · doi:10.1007/s12519-022-00601-w · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Kim, H. J., & Bang, K. (2017) · Journal of Clinical Nursing · doi:10.1111/jocn.13850 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Karbasi, S. A., Golestan, M., Fallah, R., Golshan, M., & Dehghan, Z. (2013) · Europe PMC (PubMed Central) · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Ahmed, R. G., Suliman, G. I., Elfakey, W., Salih, K. M. A., El-Amin, E. I., Ahmed, W. A. M., & Khalid, K. E. (2015) · Saudi Medical Journal · doi:10.15537/smj.2015.2.9415 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Zhang, Y., Duan, C., Cheng, L., & Li, H. (2023) · Frontiers in Pediatrics · doi:10.3389/fped.2023.1198730 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Effects of infant massage on HIV-infected mothers and their infants
Oswalt, K., & Biasini, F. J. (2011) · Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing · doi:10.1111/j.1744-6155.2011.00291.x · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Erçelik, Z. E., & Yılmaz, H. B. (2023) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2023.101897 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Karbandi, S., Lotfi, M., Boskabadi, H., & Esmaily, H. (2015) · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · doi:10.22038/ebcj.2015.6057 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
- Authors
- Field, T., Diego, M., & Hernandez-Reif, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Miami (US)
- Corresponding author
- Field, Tiffany
- ORCID
- Field, Tiffany
- Venue
- Infant Behavior and Development
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2010-04
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 115-124
- ISSN
- 0163-6383 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2844909
- OpenAlex
- W2013619762
- Cited by
- 317
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 51 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 27 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 21
- FWCI
- 2.55
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Infant Behavior and Development (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- Johnson and Johnson
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH#46586, K05MH000331, MH-00331, R37MH046586)
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (AT 01585, K05AT001585)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Infant Development and Preterm Care
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Infant Health and Development
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Infant Nutrition and Health
- Keywords
- preterm infants, weight gain, bone mineral density, massage oil, coconut oil, safflower oil, parasympathetic activity, gastric motility, insulin, insulin-like growth factor I, length of hospital stay, neonatal intensive care
- MeSH terms
- Exercise Therapy, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Massage, Premature Birth
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
