Comparison of the Effect of Kangaroo Care and Infant Massage on the Level of Maternal Anxiety and Neonatal Pain

Caring for hospitalized premature infants, who are exposed to a variety of painful caregiving, exposes mothers to many challenges that lead to anxiety. This study was designed to provide solutions to reduce maternal anxiety and neonatal pain.

This clinical trial was performed on 90 mothers with preterm infants in three groups of massage intervention, kangaroo care and control group. The interventions of both groups were performed from the time of stabilization of the neonates to the time of discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit. Spielberger overt and covert anxiety questionnaires with a minimum score of 20 and a maximum of 80 were completed before and after the intervention.

There was a significant difference between the levels of overt and covert anxiety of mothers in the massage group (34.43±11.74 and 32.13±9.25) and the kangaroo care group (36.90±10.06 and 38.07±13.10) compared to the control group (57.47±10.86 and 50.10±9.19) (p<0.001). This difference in the levels of neonatal pain was also significant in the massage group (1.87±1.20) and in the kangaroo care group (2.00±1.02) compared with the control group (4.17±1.21) (p<0.001).

The results of the present study showed that infant massage and kangaroo care by the mother are effective in reducing maternal anxiety as well as reducing pain levels in preterm infants.