Background: These days, most of the admitted infants in (NICU) are premature infants. Infant massage and prone position has been recommended for several decades to have a positive effect on preterm and small for gestational infants.
Objectives: We aimed to assess the effect of prone position and massage on oxygen saturation and heart rate in Preterm and small for gestational age neonate hospitalized in NICU at Al-Hussein university hospital and Dessouk general hospital.
Patients & Methods: This is a randomized controlled clinical study included 156 newborn was done at Al-Hussein university hospital and Dessouk general hospital during the period from April 2021 to march 2022. Complete clinical examination, history taking and laboratory investigation was done. Then all studied newborn was classified randomly into three groups: (Group I): (n=52) infants in prone position without massage, (Group II): (n=52) infants with massage therapy in prone position that was done by the researcher, (Group III): (n=52) infants as a control group in supine position (with no intervention).
Results: The Results showed that the Mean ± SD of gestational age was 35.5 ± 0.68 weeks; 53.2% were female and 46.8% were male, 38.5% had Pregnancy complication, Mean ± SD of postnatal age was 4.8 ± 1.95 days, and Mean ± SD of maternal age was 27.26 ± 6.4 years old. Also there was statistical significant difference in O2 saturation and heart rate between group 1 and 2 & group 2 and 3 & group 1 and 3 at 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th days. Heart rate was decreasing and SaO2 was increasing among the neonates of groups I and II compared to the neonates of group III at the subsequent 1 – 5 follow-up days.
Conclusion: The study revealed that prone position and infant's massage in prone position has a positive effect by reducing HR and increasing the blood oxygen saturation level in preterm and small for gestational age neonates admitted in NICU.