Effect of Massage on treatment of preterm feeding intolerance: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
Nan Peng, Lizhen Fu, Rui Li and 2 others
PMID 37332129WHAT IT FOUND
This protocol plans a trial of abdominal massage and skin stroking for preterm infants with feeding intolerance.
It compares time to full feeding against standard care. No results are reported, so it cannot change practice yet.
Key findings
01The trial plans to enroll 104 preterm infants with feeding intolerance, stratified by birth weight.
02The intervention consists of 15-minute abdominal massage and skin stroking twice daily for 7 days.
03The primary outcome is the time from starting enteral nutrition to achieving total enteral nutrition.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This is a study protocol, so no data, results, or conclusions about effectiveness are available. The trial was ongoing at the time of publication, with recruitment starting in April 2021 and completion anticipated in December 2023. Participants cannot be blinded, which may introduce bias in subjective outcomes like vomiting or abdominal distension.
Declared interests
The authors declare no competing financial interests. The study was supported by the Chongqing Health Committee and Chongqing Science and Technology Bureau.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret this as evidence that massage works for feeding intolerance. It is a plan for a future trial, not a report of results, so it provides no proof of benefit or harm.