Low-cost care strategies may be useful in preventing morbidity and mortality associated with hypothermia in preterm neonates.

Thus, the present study determined the effect of massage therapy on the body temperature of preterm neonates.

The study included 72 preterm neonates at a level II special care nursery on the third day of life and followed up for ten days. Neonates in the intervention group received massage three times a day for 15 minutes, along with body temperature monitoring before, during, and after each therapy session. Neonates in the control group received routine care with temperature monitoring three times daily.

The study observed-

• Higher mean body temperature in Neonates who received massage than the control group during therapy on day six and after therapy on day six and day 8.
• On comparing within the massage group (before/during, during/after, before/after), an increase in mean body temperature during therapy compared to before therapy and after therapy compared to before therapy.

This study shows that massage therapy has the potential to increase body temperature in preterm neonates.

Afr Health Sci. 2021 Sep;21(3):1334-1339. doi: 10.4314/ahs.v21i3.44. PMID: 35222598; PMCID: PMC8843279.