The effects of preterm infant massage on brain electrical activity

Abstract

AIM Early intervention programmes based on the manipulation of the extra-uterine environment have been used in preterm infants with the aim of improving development and functional outcome. Infant massage, among them, has proved effective for weight gain and reduced length of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit. We have recently shown that infant massage accelerates brain maturation of low-risk preterm infants without brain abnormalities as measured by global parameters of electroencephalography (EEG) activity. In the present study we further analyse the same cohort of preterm infants, testing the hypothesis that massage determines changes in EEG spectral activity, a highly sensitive index of brain maturation. METHOD Infants were randomly allocated to a massage or comparison group. Intervention consisted of standard care only (comparison group) or standard care plus infant massage (massage group). Massage was started at around 10 days after birth and was provided for 12 days during a 2-week period. EEG was performed at around 1 and 4 weeks, i.e. before and after intervention. Spectral EEG analysis was performed on 80 seconds of active sleep, applying the fast Fourier transform on the signal obtained from eight monopolar derivations. RESULTS The modification in global EEG spectral power between the two assessments was significantly different for the two groups, especially for the delta band activity; the spectral power did not change in massaged infants although, not surprisingly, it decreased significantly in the comparison group, as shown by previous studies. INTERPRETATION We propose that massage intervention affects the maturation of brain electrical activity and favours a process more similar to that observed in utero in term infants

Effect of early multisensory massage intervention on visual functions in infants with Down syndrome

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Comforting Touch in the Very Preterm Hospitalized Infant

“…45 A range of study methodologies was reviewed, including random ized controlled trials (RCTs), 25,45,[50][51][52][53] follow-up outcomes of these RCTs, 31,52 pretest/ posttest time series interrupted design, 48,54 a quasiexperimental, 46 and an observational, counterbalanced across-session and infants design. 49 Of the and improved neurologic, motor and behavioral development [29][30][31][32] ), many of the existing studies have varying protocols, are limited to healthy or convalescing preterm infants greater than or equal to 32 weeks' postmenstr ual age (PMA), and are seldom contingent on infant cues. In addition, a consensus is lacking on the type of tactile stimulation that is appropriate for high-risk very preterm infants in a level III NICU.…”

Environmental Influences on Visual Cortex Development and Plasticity

“…Moreover, a faster EEG maturation was evident in massaged babies, as shown by the more rapid shortening of the interbust intervals, a reliable index of the developmental stage of the brain electrical activity. Interestingly, massaged babies did not exhibit the change in EEG spectral power found in the comparison group [83], confirming that massage intervention affects the maturation of brain electrical activity and suggesting that if may favor a process more similar to that observed in utero in term infants. In good agreement with results obtained in the animal model, massaged infants displayed increased levels of plasma IGF-1 [79].…”