Can a daily massage shape a Newborn's brain?
NCT ID NCT05843396
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Aug 20, 2026 · Updated 4 times
Summary
This study looks at how a newborn's brain is wired and whether daily massage can change it. Researchers will scan the brains of 80 babies, half of whom receive massage from their caregivers. The goal is to see if massage alters how different brain areas communicate.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Neonatal Massage
- What this could lead to
- If this works, it could point toward a simple, drug-free way to support early brain development in newborns.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study. It is designed to observe changes in brain scans, not to prove any health benefit. Results may not apply to all babies.
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
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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
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About 80 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: * English speaking * Ability to give informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Prisoners (vulnerable population) * Pregnant women \<18 years of age * Active psychosis, mania, suicidal ideation (safety) * Active substance dependence * Gestational Age \<35 weeks (neonates) * Neonatal encephalopathy (neonates)
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Get notified about this study
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Minnesota
RECRUITINGMinneapolis, Minnesota, 55455, United States
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Washington University School of Medicine
RECRUITINGSt Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States
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