BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Approximately 80% of premature infants are diagnosed with icterus, most of whom are treated by phototherapy. Given the adverse effects of this treatment on neonates, minimizing the duration of phototherapy seems to be necessary. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of massage on the duration of phototherapy in premature infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units.

METHODS: This clinical trial was performed on premature infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Qaem Hospital of Mashhad, Iran, in 2011. The infants were randomly divided into intervention (n=30) and control (n=30) groups. The infants of both groups were similar in terms of weight, age, and the level of bilirubin. The intervention group received massage therapy (including massage and passive movements of the body parts) on a daily basis for three 15-minute courses at three consecutive hours for five days. The control group received the routine care and phototherapy. After the intervention, the two groups were compared in terms of duration of phototherapy and level of transcutaneous bilirubin.

FINDINGS: The mean duration of phototherapy in the intervention and control groups was 80.8±61.58 and 112.8±75.45 hours, respectively. However, this difference was not statistically significant. On the fifth day of the intervention, the level of transcutaneous bilirubin was 9.7 and 8.1 mg/dl in the intervention and control groups, respectively, this difference was not significant as well.

CONCLUSION: Massage can be used as an effective method alongside with phototherapy to minimize the duration of phototherapy for premature healthy infants in clinically stable conditions.