Table 2 Massage intervention characteristics.
From: The state of infant massage use in neonatal intensive care units
| Â | Mean (SD) or na (%) |
|---|---|
Use of kinesthetic component following infant massage | n = 89 |
  Yes | 48 (54%) |
  No | 41 (46%) |
Type of kinesthetic component | n = 43 |
  Facilitated movement/guided movement/stretching | 14 (33%) |
  Joint compression or weight bearing | 11 (26%) |
  Developmental positioning, pelvic tilts, or flexion movements | 10 (23%) |
  Hand to mouth | 4 (9%) |
  Myofascial techniques | 4 (9%) |
  Midline orientation | 3 (7%) |
  Rocking/vibration | 3 (7%) |
  Grasp | 2 (5%) |
  Dynamic or static touch | 1 (2%) |
  Trigger reflexes largely into flexion | 1 (2%) |
  Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT) intervention | 1 (2%) |
Massage is part of a multimodal intervention (e.g., kangaroo care, with music) | n = 89 |
  Yes | 47 (53%) |
  No | 42 (47%) |
Use of additional sensory inputs during massage | n = 43 |
  Auditory (singing, speaking, music, humming) | 24 (56%) |
  Skin-to-skin | 19 (44%) |
  Vestibular/rocking/movement | 5 (12%) |
  Gustatory/Olfactory (parent smell, tastes) | 4 (9%) |
  Holding | 2 (5%) |
  Swaddle bathing | 2 (5%) |
  Visual | 1 (2%) |
  Containment/proprioception | 1 (2%) |
  Pacifier | 1 (2%) |
  Proprioception | 1 (2%) |
Location of infant massage | n = 90 |
  Open crib | 86 (96%) |
  Inside the incubator | 73 (81%) |
  On the caregiver/therapist’s lap | 68 (76%) |
  During Kangaroo Care | 21 (23%) |
  On the floor | 17 (19%) |
  Other | 5 (6%) |
Describe the typical speed of the strokes during massage in strokes per second | n = 90 |
 Slow | 77 (86%) |
  Estimated strokes per second | Range 1-20; 6.3 (4.2) |
 Medium | 13 (14%) |
  Estimated strokes per second | Range 1-9; 4.7 (2.5) |
 Fast | 0 (0%) |
Describe the typical amount of pressure used during massage | n = 90 |
  Light | 21 (23%) |
  Medium | 67 (74%) |
  Deep | 2 (2%) |
Use of medium (e.g., emollient, oil) when providing massage | n = 101 |
  Oil | 45 (45%) |
  Lotion | 23 (23%) |
  Aquaphor or Vaseline | 18 (19%) |
  Massage over a swaddle or clothing with no emollient | 23 (23%) |
  Massage over skin but without use of emollient | 25 (25%) |
  Other or unstandardized | 5 (5%) |
Specific oil used | n = 45 |
  Calendula oil | 19 (42%) |
  Grapeseed oil | 13 (29%) |
  Combination oil | 5 (11%) |
  Coconut oil | 4 (9%) |
  Sunflower oil | 3 (7%) |
  Almond oil | 1 (2%) |
  Safflower oil | 1 (2%) |
  Jojoba oil | 1 (2%) |
  Parent brings in oil | 1 (2%) |
 Medium-chain-triglyceride oil | 1 (2%) |
Use of gloves during massage? | n = 90 |
  Yes | 32 (36%) |
  No | 19 (21%) |
  Only in certain circumstances | 39 (43%) |
If yes, is there a unit policy for use of gloves during massage? | n = 32 |
  Yes | 31 (97%) |
  No | 1 (3%) |
Estimated massage frequency (times per week received) | n = 84 |
|  | 4.41 ± 3.6 |
  1 time per week | 5 (6%) |
  2 times per week | 11 (13%) |
  3 times per week | 24 (29%) |
  4 times per week | 17 (20%) |
  5 times per week | 14 (17%) |
  6 times per week | 1 (1%) |
  Daily | 4 (5%) |
  1-2x Daily | 7 (8%) |
  More than 4 times daily | 1 (1%) |
Estimated percentage of massage conducted by parents | n = 84 |
| Â | (Range 0-99) |
|  | 37.6 ± 24.9 |
