%0 Journal Article
%T Effects of Abdominal Massage on Gastrointestinal Function in Preterm Neonates in NICU: A Systematic Review
%J The Egyptian Journal Of Hospital Medicine
%I Pan Arab League of Continuous Medical Education
%X <strong>Background: </strong>Preterm neonates frequently experience feeding intolerance due to gastrointestinal immaturity, leading to prolonged hospitalization and suboptimal growth. Abdominal massage is a non-pharmacological physical therapy intervention proposed to stimulate gastrointestinal motility, but its specific efficacy remains unclear due to overlap with generalized infant massage literature.
<strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to evaluate the specific effects of pure abdominal massage protocols on feeding intolerance markers and bowel-related outcomes in preterm neonates.<br /><strong>Methods: </strong>Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science through period from January 2014 to December 2025. Eligible studies included randomized and quasi-experimental trials evaluating NICU-based abdominal massage interventions. Risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane RoB 2 and Newcastle-Ottawa scales. Data were synthesized narratively using the SWiM framework, and evidence certainty was evaluated via GRADE.
<strong>Results: </strong>Four completed primary studies and one ongoing trial protocol were included. Narrative synthesis indicated that abdominal massage consistently reduced gastric residual volume and vomiting frequency. Favorable trends were also observed for reducing abdominal distension and increasing stool frequency. However, the overall certainty of evidence ranged from low to very low due to small sample sizes, subjective outcome measurements without blinding, and heterogeneous definitions of feeding intolerance.
<strong>Conclusion: </strong>Abdominal massage appears to be a safe, low-cost physical therapy intervention that may alleviate feeding intolerance in clinically stable preterm neonates. However, definitive recommendations require adequately powered multicenter trials with standardized protocols and objective outcome measures.
£¿
%K Preterm neonates
%K Abdominal massage
%K Feeding Intolerance
%K Gastric Residual Volume
%K neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
%U https://ejhm.journals.ekb.eg/article_506814_1a34c06a9710673127170dcd8caae2ad.pdf