Effectiveness of Coconut Oil Massage in Terms of Sleep Pattern among Preterm, Low Birth Weight Babies

WHO estimated that globally about 17% of all live births are of low birth weight babies. The incidence of low birth weight in India is 30-40% of all births. Out of this, 8-10% are preterm and 20-30% is small for date. Low birth weight and prematurity is major contributor to infant mortality rate in India. These babies have major physiological handicaps and, therefore, are ill equipped for normal life. Expert and skilled care is required for these babies to have hope for normal life. Aim: A study to assess the effectiveness of coconut oil massage in terms of sleep pattern among preterm, Low birth weight babies in selected areas of Bhilai, Chhattisgarh. Results: The mean posttest sleep pattern score (21.7) was apparently higher than the pretest sleep pattern score (19.55). The mean difference (2.15), S.D. (+2.91) and computed “t” value (4.61) at the level of 0.001 showed that highly significant difference between the pretest and posttest sleep pattern scores. The mean gain in sleep pattern score of experimental group (3.25) was apparently higher than the mean gain in sleep pattern score of control group (2.1). The mean difference (1.15), S.D. (+2.32) and computed “t” value (1.61) at the level of 0.001 showed that there is no significant difference between the gain scores in sleep pattern. Conclusion: The present study shows significant increase in sleep pattern of low birth weight babies after coconut oil massage in experimental group than control group. Thus, it is concluded that the coconut oil massage was an effective intervention in improving the sleep pattern of low birth weight babies