Oil Massage and Weight Gain

Oil Massage Improves Weight Gain in Low Birth Weight Preterm Neonates. A study in India on the effect of massage with oil on preterm babies’ growth showed that a four-week daily regimen resulted in significant weight gain. “Effect of Oil Massage on Growth and Neurobehavior in Very Low Birth Weight Preterm Neonates” was conducted in the neonatal unit of a teaching hospital, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narain Hospital in New Delhi. In this randomized controlled trial, 62 preterm neonates (born at less than 37 weeks’ gestation) weighing less than 3.3 pounds were assigned to three groups: massage with oil, massage without oil, and no massage.

Infants in both massage groups were treated to four 10-minute massages daily. Starting at the neck, massage was given with the baby in prone position and was carried out from the upper back to the waist. Each limb was then massaged separately in the supine position. Each area received 20 gentle strokes.

Sunflower oil was applied to infants in the oil-massage group in the amount of one-half teaspoon/kg/day in each session. Infants in the no-massage group were handled and fed in the same way as were those in the other two groups, but were not massaged.

Baseline weight was recorded at enrollment, and weight was measured weekly during treatment. Subjects in the oil-massage group gained an average of 0.8 pounds. Subjects in the massage-only and no-massage groups gained an average of 0.638 pounds and 0.627 pounds, respectively. (The difference in weight gain between the latter two groups is statistically insignificant.)

Secondary outcome variables were measured, including crown-heel length, head circumference, triceps skin-fold thickness, serum triglyceride levels and neurobehavior. Changes in these variables were statistically insignificant.

The authors state that study data indicate that weight gain in the oil-massage group probably resulted from oil absorption. They hypothesize that the absorbed oil served as a source of energy and nutrients, thus improving overall growth. The authors conclude that oil application may have a potential to improve low birth weight and that, “Since this is a culturally accepted practice [in India], it should be encouraged … in low-birth-weight infant care both in hospitals and at home.”