ABSTRACT
Purpose: We investigated the effects of massage on young children with developmental delay but no clear diagnosis (e.g., cerebral palsy, genetic diseases, or autism).
Methods: Thirty-six children with DD, at 1–3 years of age, were randomly assigned to the massage (n = 18) or control group (n = 18) after being stratified by age and motor developmental quotient. The two groups continued to receive routine rehabilitation intervention, whereas the massage group additionally received 20 min of massage twice a week for 12 weeks. The Comprehensive Development Inventory for Infants and Toddlers – Diagnostic Test, the Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile – Chinese version, anthropometric measures, and a sleep questionnaire were administrated before and after the massage intervention.
Results: The results of analysis of covariance revealed that the massage group exhibited a greater improvement in the total motor score (p = 0.023), gross motor score (p = 0.047), and sensory sensitivity behavior (p = 0.042).
Conclusion: These findings suggest that massage can effectively enhance motor and sensory processing in children with DD.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank the children and parents who participated in this study and to sincerely thank the therapists for their help during the study period.
Disclosure Statement
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.