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The Effect of Spa and Massage on Babies on Colic Symptoms

The Effect of Spa and Massage on Babies on Colic Symptoms: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05538936
Enrollment
72
Registered
2022-09-14
Start date
2022-08-01
Completion date
2023-12-11
Last updated
2025-12-18

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Infantile Colic, Infantile Spasm

Keywords

İnfantile Colic, Baby SPA, hydrotherapy, massage

Brief summary

Although various complementary health approaches have been examined to alleviate colic symptoms, there seems to be a limited number of studies on SPA and massage applications. For this reason, the study was planned to determine the effectiveness of nurses' baby SPA and massage practices in reducing colic symptoms in babies.

Detailed description

Baby SPA is a physiotherapy method that stimulates the baby's motor movements through water (hydrotherapy) and performs body circulation in an integrated way to balance the mind and emotions. Playing with water, the baby's muscles develop, circulation accelerates and the body becomes flexible. It also increases the intestinal motility of the baby. This allows the baby to pass gas more easily. In addition, all parts of the body of the baby floating in the water develop. Because in the water, the hands and legs move freely, giving the whole body the ability to move. Due to the low gravitational effect while swimming in the water, the baby's ability to control their muscles develops, which allows the baby to move more and all of their muscles to work optimally. On the other hand, when the baby is in the water, he feels that he is in an environment similar to the intrauterine environment he is used to. Infant massage also used to reduce the symptoms of infantile colic, is often called stimulus touch. Baby massage can be defined as a relaxed conversation between parent and baby. Infant massage is also called touch therapy, which refers to a technique that combines the physical benefits of human touch with emotional benefits such as mind bonding. Massage is an application that makes the baby more sensitive, develops a sense of security, enables better communication with eye contact, increases comfort, creates a deep bond between parent and baby, as well as supports the baby's physical, mental and emotional development. Although various complementary health approaches have been examined to alleviate colic symptoms, there seems to be a limited number of studies on SPA and massage applications. For this reason, the study was planned to determine the effectiveness of nurses' baby SPA and massage practices in reducing colic symptoms in babies.

Interventions

OTHERBaby SPA

Salus Per Aquam, Sanitas Per Aquam, Salut Per Aqua or Solus Per Aqua (SPA) means health that comes with water. Baby SPA is a physiotherapy method that stimulates the baby's motor movements through water (hydrotherapy) and performs it in an integrated way to balance the body, mind, and emotions. Baby SPA is applied in specially designed bathtubs. The size of the tub is designed in such a way that children can move their hands and feet freely and not be narrow. A neck ring/ring is used to keep the baby on the water surface during SPA treatment.

OTHERMassage

The best way to communicate with a baby is to touch it. When babies are born, unlike their other senses, the most developed one is the sense of touch. Because this process begins while in the womb. The baby communicates by touch and begins to recognize his environment. The sense of touch is a priority for the development of all senses. They need to perceive their environment, especially in newborns and infancy periods. Touching the body in a systematic way for a therapeutic purpose is called Massage. Massage is soft touches to body tissues to relax muscles, accelerate circulation, reduce infantile colic symptoms and pain, regulate sleep, and increase its duration. Baby massage has many benefits such as reducing colic symptoms, increasing weight gain, providing motor development and coordination, strengthening the parent and baby bond, supporting growth and development, and reducing stress.

Sponsors

Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa
CollaboratorOTHER
Yuzuncu Yil University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

Randomized controlled experimental design with pretest-posttest experiment and control group

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
40 Days to 4 Months
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* The willingness of the family to participate in the research * The baby is between 40 days - 4 months * The baby was born at term * Birth weight between 2500 - 4500 g * The baby's diagnosis of infantile colic by the doctor * The baby has not started any treatment for infantile colic

Exclusion criteria

* The presence of any congenital anomaly in the baby * The baby has a diagnosis of lactose intolerance * The baby has an acute or chronic illness * There is a wound on the baby's skin or a condition that prevents massage. * Having a situation that prevents communication with the mother

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Data Collection6 or 7 monthsThe researcher will collect the research data at Van Aquarium Baby SPA and Van İki Nisan Caddesi Private Clinic Center. For the experimental groups, once a week for a total of four applications, the application will end at the end of a month. Introductory Information Form, Infant Colic Scale, and Infant Colic Symptoms Follow-up Form will be applied to the individuals in the experimental and control groups to collect data. Items in the infant colic scale are graded on a Likert-type score from 1 to 6. The rating ranges from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). A low mean score from the scale indicates a decrease in colic, while a high mean score indicates an increase in colic. The Baby Colic Symptoms Follow-up Form is a form that measures the duration and frequency of changes in the baby's colic symptoms. If the time and frequency are reduced, it is concluded that the application is effective.

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 5, 2026