International Journal of Health Sciences
Vol. 4 No. 2 (2026): IJHS : International Journal of Health Sciences

Infant Weight Gain and the Effects of Massage Performed with Gentle Strokes or Tactile Stimulation of the Skin Surface (Infant Massage)

Astin Nur Hanifah (Ministry of Health Polytechnic of Surabaya, Indonesia)
Rezqiqah Aulia Rahmat (Bosowa University, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
13 Jun 2026

Abstract

ABSTRACT Infant growth is an important indicators in assessing child health and development . One of the most commonly used parameters for evaluating infant growth is weight gain. Various factors May influence infant weight gain, including stimulation through infant Infant massage​ massage is a gentle tactile stimulation applied to the baby's skin to improve comfort , blood circulation , sleep quality , and growth . This study aimed to determine the effect of infant massage on infant weight gain. This study employed a quantitative approach using a pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design . The sample consisted of 30 infants aged 1–6 months selected through purposive sampling. The intervention involved infant massage conducted three times per week for four weeks . Data were analyzed using the Paired Sample t- Test . The results showed that the mean infant weight increased from 5.82 ± 0.84 kg before the intervention to 6.54 ± 0.88 kg after the intervention . Statistical analysis revealed a p- value of 0.000 (p < 0.05), indicating a significant effect of infant massage on infant weight gain. Keywords : Infant Massage , Infant Weight Gain, Tactile Stimulation , Infant Growth , Child Health

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Journal Info

Abbrev

IJHS

Publisher

Subject

Dentistry Health Professions Medicine & Pharmacology Nursing Public Health

Description

International Journal of Health Sciences (IJHS) is an international peer-reviewed journal published by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers throughout Indonesia. This Journal of Health Sciences is open access and aims to share and promote the quality of community services by applying science ...