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Author Affiliations: Faculty of Maternal and Child Health, Public Health School, Zhongshan University, Guangzhou 510080, China (Jin J, Li XH); Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China (Feng LY); Foshan Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Foshan 528000, China (Wu Q); The Sixth People Hospital of Shanghai, Shanghai 200233, China (Wang ZC); Zhuhai Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Zhuhai 519000, China (Zeng SP); Shanghai Changning Maternity and Infant Health Institute, Shanghai 200052, China (Gu YP); Guangdong Women's and Children's Hospital and Health Institute, Guangzhou 510000, China (Cai XM)
Corresponding Author: Jin Jing, PhD, Faculty of Maternal and Child Health, Public Health School, Zhongshan University, Guangzhou 510080, China (Tel: 86-20-87333526; Fax: 86-20-87330446; Email: jingjin@mail.sysu.edu.cn)
Background: Massage and motion training are considered to promote physical and mental health of infants. This study was conducted to elucidate their effect on the early development of normal infants.
Methods: Infants were randomly assigned to two groups according to their age: 0-month group and 6-month group. Growth and development of all infants were evaluated regularly. For the 0-month group, 90 infants were included in the experimental group and 90 in the control group. After one year, the number of infants decreased to 54 in the experimental group and 62 in the control group because of the lost to follow up. For the 6-month group, the number of infants in the experimental group was 62, and that in the control group was 52. After half a year, the number of infants in the experimental group was 52, and that in the control group was 39 because of lost to follow up. Infants in the experimental group received massage and motion training. Growth and development of all infants were evaluated regularly and compared between the two groups.
Results: Infants in the experimental group who received massage and motion training in the newborn period had a higher level in length and body weight than those in the control group in the first 6 months of life. At age of 6 months, the developmental quotient (DQ) of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group. At age of one year, the DQ of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group. For the infants receiving motion training beginning from 6-month old, the body length and weight of infants in the experimental group were slightly higher than those of infants in the control group at age of 12 months. Significant difference was found in the body length. Also the DQ of adaptive behavior and language was significantly higher than that of infants in the control group.
Conclusions: Massage and motion training can significantly promote the physical and intelligent develop-ment of infants beginning from birth or at age of 6 months.
Key words: infant; massage; motion; growth; development
World J Pediatr 2007;3(4):295-299
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