Researchers wanted to know if a special massage technique could help premature babies feel less pain when getting vitamin K injections in the hospital. They tested two different massage points on 100 premature newborns, comparing them to babies who received either a placebo massage or regular care. While the massage groups showed slightly lower pain scores, the difference wasn’t big enough to be considered scientifically significant. This suggests that a two-minute massage alone may not be enough to meaningfully reduce injection pain in premature babies, though longer or combined treatments might work better.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether massaging specific points on a baby’s body before a vitamin K injection could reduce the pain the baby feels during the shot.
  • Who participated: 100 premature newborns in a hospital’s intensive care unit in Iran, divided equally into four groups of 25 babies each.
  • Key finding: Babies who received massage had slightly lower pain scores (5.92-5.94 on a pain scale) compared to control babies (6.66), but this small difference could have happened by chance and wasn’t statistically significant (p = 0.27).
  • What it means for you: If you have a premature baby in the hospital, a two-minute massage before shots may provide minimal comfort and shouldn’t replace other proven pain-relief methods. Talk to your healthcare team about all available options for managing your baby’s pain.

The Research Details

This was a randomized controlled trial, which is one of the strongest types of research studies. Researchers randomly divided 100 premature newborns into four equal groups. Two groups received a specific massage technique (one on the hand area called Hegu point, another on the foot area called Kunlun-Taixi points) for two minutes before their vitamin K injection. A third group received a placebo massage on the tip of the nose, and a fourth group received only routine hospital care. The study was triple-blind, meaning the babies’ parents, the healthcare workers giving the injections, and the people measuring pain didn’t know which babies were in which group. This design helps prevent bias from affecting the results.

Using a randomized controlled trial design is important because it helps researchers determine whether the massage actually caused any pain reduction or if the results happened by chance. The triple-blind approach ensures that people’s expectations or preferences didn’t influence how they measured the babies’ pain. This rigorous approach gives us more confidence in the findings.

This study has several strengths: it used a proper control group, randomly assigned participants, and used a validated pain measurement scale. However, the study was relatively small (100 babies total), and the massage was only given for two minutes, which may not have been enough time to see an effect. The researchers themselves noted that longer treatment periods might be needed to see meaningful results.

What the Results Show

The main finding was that babies who received massage had pain scores that were slightly lower than babies in the control and placebo groups, but the difference was very small and not statistically significant. During the injection, the Hegu massage group had an average pain score of 5.92, the Kunlun-Taixi group scored 5.94, the control group scored 6.66, and the placebo group scored 6.56 (on a scale where higher numbers mean more pain). The statistical test (ANOVA) showed that these differences could easily have occurred by random chance (p = 0.27), meaning we can’t confidently say the massage actually reduced pain. In other words, the massage groups did slightly better, but not by enough to prove the massage was the reason.

The study measured pain at three different times: before the injection, during the injection, and after the injection. The pattern of results was consistent across all three time points, with intervention groups showing slightly lower pain but no significant differences. This consistency suggests that if there was any effect, it was small and consistent rather than dramatic at any particular moment.

Previous research on acupressure and massage for pain relief in newborns has shown mixed results. Some studies suggest these techniques might help, while others show minimal benefit. This study adds to the evidence that a brief two-minute massage may not be sufficient to significantly reduce injection pain in premature babies. The researchers suggest that future studies should try longer massage sessions and combine massage with other pain-relief methods that have already been proven to work.

Several limitations affect how much we can trust these results. The massage was only performed for two minutes, which may not have been long enough to produce a noticeable effect. The study was conducted in only one hospital in Iran, so results might differ in other settings. The sample size of 100 babies, while reasonable, might not be large enough to detect small but meaningful differences. Additionally, premature babies in intensive care are already experiencing stress from their medical conditions, which could make it harder to see the effect of a single intervention.

The Bottom Line

Based on this research, a two-minute massage before injections is not recommended as a primary pain-relief strategy for premature newborns (low confidence level). However, it may be considered as a complementary approach alongside proven pain-relief methods such as sucrose solutions, skin-to-skin contact, or other medical interventions. Parents and healthcare providers should discuss all available pain-management options with the medical team.

Parents of premature babies in intensive care should care about this research, as well as healthcare providers working in neonatal units. This finding is specifically relevant to premature newborns receiving injections and may not apply to older children or adults. People interested in traditional medicine approaches like acupressure should also note that this study suggests such methods alone may not be sufficient for pain management in this vulnerable population.

If massage were to be used, any potential pain-relief effects would occur immediately during or shortly after the massage, not over days or weeks. The study measured pain during the actual injection, so benefits (if any) would be seen right away, not after a period of treatment.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • If a parent or healthcare provider chooses to use massage, track the baby’s pain score (using the hospital’s standard pain scale) before massage, during the injection, and after the injection. Record the duration of massage and which massage point was used. Compare these scores over multiple injections to see if there’s any pattern of improvement.
  • Healthcare providers could implement a protocol to offer parents the option of gentle massage before routine injections, while ensuring that other proven pain-relief methods (like sucrose or skin-to-skin contact) are also available. Parents could learn the massage technique from hospital staff and practice it before their baby’s procedures.
  • For long-term tracking, maintain a log of all injections and pain responses, noting which pain-relief methods were used each time. Over weeks or months, this data could help identify which combinations of methods work best for an individual baby. Share this information with the healthcare team to personalize pain management strategies.

This research suggests that a two-minute massage alone does not significantly reduce injection pain in premature newborns. This information is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Parents and caregivers should always consult with their healthcare team about appropriate pain management strategies for premature babies. Do not attempt any medical interventions without guidance from qualified healthcare providers. Individual babies may respond differently to various comfort measures, and medical professionals should determine the best approach for each child’s specific situation.