Effect of massage on severity of cries and sleep duration among infants who suffer infantile colic: a randomized clinical trial

Infantile colic and sequence of cries, irritability and sleep problem are transient in the initial months of life. It could affect maternal depression, parent’s anxiety and family health situation. The aim of this study is to explore effect of massage on infantile cries severity and duration of sleep. In this randomized clinical trial, one hundred infants assigned randomly into intervention and control groups. Correct method of massage for mothers in intervention group was taught and they were asked to massage infants three times a day for a week. In control group, mothers used rocking to relief colic symptoms. In both groups, Parents registered cries severity and sleep duration on diary. Finally, marginal model was used to analyze data. In the massage group, means of cries severity decrease from 5.01 to 2.47 in a week while in the control (rock) group this mean reduce from 4.27 to 3.78. In addition, mean difference of sleep duration between groups was 1.81 hours in favor of rock group at the first day of study. It became 1.26 hours in favor of massage group at the end of trial. Severity of cries among infants of this study in the afternoon and at night was significantly higher than in the morning. Massage as a safe treatment can affect cries severity and sleep duration of infants.