THE PHYSIOLOGIC EFFECTS OF FIELD MASSAGE TECHNIQUE ON PRETERM INFANTS

Background and Sensory stimulation is one of the basic needs of human beings, particularly, for growth and development. However, preterm infants are deprived of Kinesthetic stimulation due to limitations of nursing care and occasionally due to relative isolation periods. Also, painful and additional manipulations cause physiologic dystrophy (hypoxia and heartbeat changes). Therefore, this study was conducted to study the effects of field massage on the physiologic responses of preterm infants and to assure its usage. Methods and Materials: The present study is a quasi-experimental research, conducted on 20 stable preterm infants who were selected by purposive sampling. Field massage was given for 10 days, three 15-minute times in three hours. Heart rate, respiratory rate and O2 saturation were recorded in four phases: just prior to the initiation of the intervention as the baseline time; at the eighth minute after the onset of intervention as time 1; just after the termination of intervention (the 15th minute) as time 2; and finally five minutes later (20 minutes after the initiation) as times 3. Mean heart rate was as follows: baseline time 133.29±0.58; time 1 was 139.68±0.54; time 2 was 133.31±0.57 and time 3 was 133.51±0.56. There was a significant difference between the four phases (p....