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Can kangaroo care and baby massage boost preterm development?

NCT ID NCT02835612

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested whether extra stimulation—kangaroo care and gentle massage by mothers—helps preterm babies develop better. 138 preterm infants were split into two groups: one received standard kangaroo care, the other added massage therapy until hospital discharge. Researchers then tracked their development, including motor and cognitive skills, up to 18 months corrected age.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
early stimulation (kangaroo care and massage therapy by mothers)
What this could lead to
If successful, this could show that simple, parent-led stimulation programs improve long-term development in preterm infants.
What could go wrong
This is a small, single-center study with no blinding, so results may not apply broadly. The intervention is low-risk but may not produce clear benefits.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

138 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Feb 2016

Finished

Dec 2021

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

48 hours to 7 days

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Preterm infants born in our institution will be included when they complete 48 hours after birth Exclusion Criteria: * Congenital malformations

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As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Complication of prematurity

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre

    Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90035903, Brazil

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