背景:出生到兩歲的嬰幼兒主要透過視、聽、觸等感覺認識環境,研究指出嬰兒按摩可幫助嬰幼兒身心健康成長。目的:探討嬰兒按摩對嬰幼兒身體發展之影響。方法:本研究研究對象為2~18個月健康之嬰幼兒,總計30名,將受測者隨機分為實驗與對照兩組,每組各15人。實驗組家長接受連續四週,每週一次,每次一小時嬰兒按摩課程,對照組沒有介入按摩課程。於第一週嬰兒按摩介入前及第四週結束後測量所有受測嬰幼兒身長、體重、頭圍、胸圍,以及收集嬰幼兒每日喝奶量、副食品攝食量與排泄次數。結果:嬰兒按摩介入後,實驗組嬰幼兒副食品攝取量顯著高於對照組嬰幼兒,身長、體重、頭圍、胸圍、喝奶量、排泄次數兩組無顯著差異。結論:實驗組嬰幼兒接受嬰兒按摩介入能增進副食品攝食量,兩組之身長、體重、頭圍、胸圍無顯著差異。
Background: Infants and toddlers from birth to 2 years of age understand their environment mainly through the senses of sight, hearing, and touch. Studies have shown that baby massages can benefit the physical and mental growth of infants and children. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of infant massage on the physical development of babies. Methods: The subjects of this study were healthy infants of age 2 to 18 months, recruited from day care centers. A total of thirty participants were randomly assigned either to the experimental group or the control group, with each group containing 15 babies. The parents of the experimental group participated in infant massage sessions for one hour each week for four consecutive weeks, while the control group did not undergo any massage sessions. Prior to the first week's massage session and after the fourth was over, the height, weight, head circumference, and bust circumference of all subjects were measured, and each baby's daily milk intake and non-staple food intake and excretion times were recorded. Results: After the infant massage course, the daily intake of non-staple foods in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group, but no significant differences were found in the weight, length, head circumference, bust circumference, milk intake, and excretion times. Conclusion: The experimental group, which received infant massage intervention, had higher non-staple food intake; there were no significant differences between the two groups in weight, length, head circumference, and bust circumference.