The Effect of Abdominal Massage on Jaundice and Defecation in Newborn Babies

Effects of Abdominal Massage Applied Once and Twice Daily in Phototherapy-Treated Term Newborns on Bilirubin Levels and Defecation: Randomized Controlled Trial

Hyperbilirubinemia is a common condition in term newborns and is often treated with phototherapy. It is thought that abdominal massage may increase bowel movements, thereby increasing the frequency of defecation and supporting bilirubin excretion.

This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the effect of abdominal massage, applied once or twice daily using the Vimala technique, on transcutaneous bilirubin levels and defecation frequency in hyperbilirubinemia-affected term newborns receiving phototherapy in the neonatal intensive care unit.

The study was conducted in the neonatal intensive care unit of a university hospital between February 29, 2020, and August 17, 2023. A total of 35 newborns meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into three groups. Group Massage-1 received 10 minutes of abdominal massage once daily before feeding for three days (n=12). Group Massage-2 received massage twice daily for the same duration (n=10). The control group received routine care (n=13).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Phototherapy; Jaundice, Neonatal; Hyper Bilirubinemia
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Massage once a day for 3 days.; Other: Massage twice a day for 3 days.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 35
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Province
    • Kütahya, Province, Turkey (Türkiye), 43000
      • Kütahya Health Sciences University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Term newborns (37-42 weeks gestation)
• 2-10 days postpartum
• Diagnosed with hyperbilirubinemia
• Receiving phototherapy
• Fully orally fed.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Newborns with ABO incompatibility or Rh incompatibility.
• Diagnosed with direct hyperbilirubinemia.
• Genetic/metabolic diseases
• Infections within 24 hours
• With a need for fluid replacement
• Having skin anomalies
• Having abdominal disorders and surgery.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control Group
Experimental: Massage-1 Group; Babies in Massage-1 received a 10-minute abdominal massage once a day before feeding for three days.	Other: Massage once a day for 3 days.; The Vimala Massage Application, before massaging, hands were washed and lubricated. The massage began with a patting motion on the newborn's abdomen, followed by clockwise circular movements and semicircles. The massage was then performed in the shapes of an I, inverted L, and U along the abdomen. Finally, a walking movement was performed with the fingertips from the right to the left side of the abdomen. Each movement was repeated six times.
Experimental: Massage-2 Group; Babies in the Massage-2 group received a 10-minute abdominal massage twice a day before feeding for three days.	Other: Massage twice a day for 3 days.; The Vimala Massage Application, before massaging, hands were washed and lubricated. The massage began with a patting motion on the newborn's abdomen, followed by clockwise circular movements and semicircles. The massage was then performed in the shapes of an I, inverted L, and U along the abdomen. Finally, a walking movement was performed with the fingertips from the right to the left side of the abdomen. Each movement was repeated six times.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
A transcutaneous bilirubin levels	6 hours after phototherapy
Defecation	Diapers were changed a total of 8 times a day. Defecation outcome was assessed in 24-hour intervals for 3 days.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Kutahya Health Sciences University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 29, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 17, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): January 14, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 28, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 4, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): February 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 5, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 4, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Newborn; Jaundice; Phototherapy; Hyperbilirubinemia; Bilirubin; Infant massage
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Skin Manifestations; Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal; Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Jaundice, Neonatal; Jaundice; Hyperbilirubinemia
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2019/137

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No