Title

Effectiveness of tactile and kinesthetic stimulation on weight and feeding patterns among Low birth weight neonates

Authors

B. Mahalakshmi^1,*, Chauhan Roshaniben Rajendrakumar¹, P. JamunaRani², N. B. Mahalakshmi², S. Jothimani³, N. Siva Subramanian¹ & G. Ramani⁴

Affiliation

¹Department of Paediatric Nursing, Nootan College of Nursing, Sankalchand Patel University,Visnagar, Gujarat - 384315; India; ²Department of Psychiatric Nursing, KMCH College of Nursing, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu - 641048, India; ³Department of Psychiatric Nursing shri satyasai college of Nursing, chenkgalpattu-600127, Tamil Nadu, India; ⁴Department of Psychiatric Nursing Kongunadu College of Nursing, Coimbatore – 641109, India; *Corresponding author

Email

B. Mahalakshmi - E - mail: mb.fn@spu.ac.in
N Sivasubramanian - E - mail: sn.fn@spu.ac.in
Chauhan Roshaniben Rajendrakumar - E - mail: mahahasini14@gmail.com
P. Jamuna rani - E - mail: jamunakumar2009@gmail.com
N.B. Mahalakshmi - E - mail: mahalakshmi.n.b@ kmchcon.ac.in
S. Jothimani - E - mail: jothimani1802@gmail.com
G. Ramani - E-mail: ramani9411@gmail.com

Article Type

Research Article

Date

Received December 1, 2024; Revised December 31, 2024; Accepted December 31, 2024, Published December 31, 2024

Abstract

Preterm birth and low birth weight significantly contribute to neonatal morbidity, with affected infants often struggling with weight gain and feeding. This study investigated the effects of tactile and kinesthetic stimulation on these parameters in preterm and low birth weight neonates in Mehsana hospitals. Sixty neonates were split into an experimental group, receiving 15-minute tactile and kinesthetic sessions twice daily, and a control group with standard care. Measurements on the first and seventh days showed that the experimental group had notable improvements, with weight gain increasing from 1.55 ± 1.30 to 3.50 ± 0.50 and feeding patterns similarly enhanced. In contrast, the control group’s gains were modest and not statistically significant. Gestational age and birth weight were associated with positive responses to stimulation, especially in neonates with lower initial weights. These results indicate that tactile and kinesthetic stimulation could be an effective, low-cost method to support growth in vulnerable neonates.

Keywords

preterm neonates, low birth weight, tactile stimulation, kinesthetic stimulation, weight gain, feeding patterns.

Citation

Mahalakshmi et al. Bioinformation 20(12): 1845-1848 (2024)

Edited by

P Kangueane

ISSN

0973-2063

Publisher

Biomedical Informatics

License

This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. This is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.