A pilot randomised controlled trial on the effectiveness of infant massage on the acceptance, commitment and awareness of influence in parents of babies with Down syndrome

Background The emotional state of parents of babies with Down syndrome affects their babies' development and their parent-child bonding. The aim for this study was to conduct a pilot randomised controlled evaluation of the effect of infant massage on parents of babies with Down syndrome. Methods This pilot study compared two groups (intervention and control), each with 16 parents of babies with Down syndrome. Indices of acceptance, engagement and awareness of influence were measured at two different time points (pre-test and after 5 weeks) using the 'This Is My Baby' Interview. The allocation of families to each group was randomised. The experimental group performed infant massage, applied by the parents, for 5 weeks, every day for at least 10 min. The massage protocol was based on the methodology created by Vimala McClure. Parents in the control group received the intervention after completion of the study. Results The indices of acceptance, commitment and awareness of influence improved in the experimental group and in the control group. The 2 x 2 mixed-model analysis of variance indicates a statistically significant group-by-time interaction for all indices (P < 0.001), which was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group. Conclusions The application of infant massage, by parents to their babies, improves the rates of acceptance, commitment and awareness of influence of parents of babies with Down syndrome in the short term.