Effectiveness of coconut oil massage therapy for weight gain among low birth weight babies

Abstract

Low birth weight (LBW) is one of the causes for neonatal mortality and morbidity in Kolhapur. Admission of LBW neonates in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) causes deprivation of tactile sensory stimulation. Massage with oil can help in improving weight. Hence, the study was aimed to evaluate the role of coconut oil massage therapy in weight gain among LBW babies in the Kolhapur region. As this study involves evaluating the effectiveness of coconut oil massage therapy on weight gain among low-birth-weight babies, a Quasi-experimental non-equivalent re-tests, post-tests and control group design was chosen for this study. Sixty neonates of 8-28 days from birth, and gestational age of >32 weeks, and the parents consenting to the study were included and non-random assignment in to experimental and control group was done. Babies in the experimental group were massaged for 10 minutes twice daily with certified coconut oil for 5 days. Whereas the routine massage was given to the neonates of the control group. Pre-assessment and post-assessment weights of all babies were recorded. Wilcoxon sign rank test, Mann Whitney U test and Chi-Square test were used to analyse the data. A significant difference was observed between mean weight gain in experimental and control group (P=2.96e-07). Post-assessment weight was significantly associated with age (P= 0.011) and birth weight (P= 0.03). Significant mean difference was observed between pre and post-assessment weight of LBW neonate in the experimental group (P=6.734e-12). Body massage using coconut oil showed higher weight gain in LBW babies after the 5th day of intervention.