Cochrane Review Summary: Massage for promoting mental and physical health in typically developing infants under the age of six months.

This Cochrane review contained 34 randomised controlled trials and quasi-randomised studies, which included 3984 participants who were healthy, full-term babies aged six months or younger. Studies targeting pre-term and low birth weight babies in a hospital setting were excluded. Interventions needed to evaluate infant massage defined as ‘systematic tactile stimulation by human hands’, which was specifically taught to parents and/or staff, and/or used as a routine cultural practice, and compared with controls that received no active massage. They were delivered in hospitals, community centres, a school, orphanage and a day care centre; although in 13 studies, it was unclear. Studies were conducted in the United Kingdom (two), United States of America (seven, one included Canada) and China (20), and five in Korea, Israel, India, Iran and Turkey, respectively. They were delivered by researchers, a trained parent, nurse or other medical professionals. Interventions were tactile stimulation only or multimodal (more than one method of stimulation) and varied in type of massage, duration and frequency. Studies needed to have used a standardised outcome measure of infant mental or physical development, which was measured immediately post-intervention and/or between six and 12 months follow-up.