Report:Massage of preterm newborns to improve growth and development. Field, T., Scafidi, F., and Schanberg, S. (1987), Pediatric Nursing.

Results: The data reviewed suggests that the growth and development of preterm neonates [newborn infants] can be facilitated by tactile-kinesthetic stimulation. Greater weight gain and superior performance on developmental assessments persisted across the first six months for the group of infants that received the massage treatment. Field has suggested that these enduring effects may be mediated by better parent-infant interactions. Heightened responsiveness of the neonate may enhance the early parent-infant relationships which may, in turn, contribute to optimal growth and development at later stages in infancy