Preference of Types of Oil for Oil Massage among Infant Caregivers

Background: Since time immemorial, most Asian cultures have practiced baby massage.[1],[2] Studies employing massage alone as a kind of tactile stimulation or massage with some type of vegetable oil revealed the effect of massage on development in preterm newborns.[1] Depending on area availability, several oil-based formulations have been utilized.[2] However, the oils utilized may range from possibly useful to potentially poisonous. Aim of the study: The aim of the study was conducted to observe the preference of different oil types among the caregivers for infant massage. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the Out Patient Department of Pediatrics, Sir Salimullah Medical College, Mitford Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The study duration was one year, from July 2010 to June 2011. All the mothers/caregivers of infants who attended Pediatric OPD of Sir Salimullah Medical College, Mitford Hospital, Dhaka during the study period were initially selected for this study. Result: The mean ±SD age of the babies was 6.04+3.97 months. The age range of the babies was 8 days-12 months. Fifty-four (37.0%) participant babies were in age group 9-12 months, 52(35.6%) babies in age group 0-4 months and 40(27.4%) in age group 5-8 months. Among the participants 82 (56.9%) babies were male and 62 (43%) babies were female. The male-female ratio is 1.3:1. Majority of the caregivers found no problem with massage oil (94.44%). Rashes developed in 3(2.08%) cases, vomiting in 2(1.39%) cases and fever in 2(1.39%) cases and cold in 1(0.69%) case. Conclusion: The study showed a preference of using mustard oil for oil massage among participants. Most of the infants received oil massage twice or thrice daily.