PEDIATRICS Vol. 108 No. 4 October 2001, pp. 1053
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To the Editor.
Over the past 20 years, randomized, controlled studies have
evaluated tactile/kinesthetic stimulation effects (more popularly referred to as massage therapy) for preterm infants residing in neonatal intensive care units. The protocol in these studies typically involves administering 30 to 45 minutes of daily stroking and flexion
and extension of extremities to medically stable preterm infants. The
massage therapy is provided in 10- to 15-minute sessions, 3 times a