Massage for pain relief in newborns submitted to puncture: systematic review

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective To analyze in the scientific literature the effects of massage on pain relief in newborns submitted to puncture. Method Systematic review with meta-analysis performed in October 2020, using PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, Scopus, Cochrane and Gale databases. Studies without time frame were included, which used massage as the main technique for relieving neonatal pain during puncture. Data were extracted using standardized forms and the synthesis of results occurred in a descriptive way. Results From the 12 studies included, massage was effective in pain relief in 83.3% of the studies. The comparative meta-analysis of massage versus routine care that assessed duration of crying obtained a statistically significant result (p = 0.0002; 95% CI -85.51 to -27.09). Conclusion Massage contributes to neonatal pain relief by reducing pain score and reducing crying time in newborns submitted to puncture.