Comparing the effect of kangaroo mother care and field massage on serum bilirubin level of term neonates with hyperbilirubinemia under phototherapy in the neonatal ward

Several factors contribute to the effectiveness of phototherapy. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of kangaroo mother care (KMC) and field massage on bilirubin level of term neonates with hyperbilirubinemia under phototherapy in the neonatal ward.

This double-blind clinical trial was performed on 90 term neonates aged 48 hours with hyperbilirubinemia, hospitalized in Fereydunkenar Hospital during 2018-2019. The infants were randomly divided into 3 groups of massage with phototherapy, KMC with phototherapy and control (received conventional phototherapy without KMC and massage). The massage group used field technique for three 15-minutes in 3 days and the KMC group received KMC for five 30 minutes in 3 days as well. In three groups, the serum bilirubin levels were compared at baseline, 24, 48, 72 hours after the onset and at the end of phototherapy. Moreover, the mean duration of phototherapy and hospitalization was compared during the treatment.

Serum bilirubin levels at baseline in the control, field massage and KMC groups were (17±1.38, 17.01±1.46 and 16.97±1.27mg/dl) and at the end of phototherapy were (6.97±0.47, 5.56±0.48 and 5.91±0.52 mg/dl) respectively. There was a significant difference between the intervention and control groups (p<0.001). The mean duration of phototherapy and hospitalization had no significant difference between two intervention groups (p>0.001), but it was significantly higher in control group than intervention groups (p<0.001).

The use of massage or KMC with phototherapy, compared to the phototherapy alone, can reduce the bilirubin level, phototherapy duration and hospital stay.