Wrapped and soaked: could a simple bathing technique soothe preterm babies?

NCT ID NCT07522892

Symptom relief Sponsor: Chang Gung University of Science and Technology Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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

Summary

This study compares swaddle bathing (wrapping the baby in a cloth during the bath) to traditional tub bathing for preterm infants in the NICU. Researchers want to see if swaddle bathing keeps the baby's body temperature and heart rate more stable and reduces stress behaviors like crying. Forty stable preterm infants born between 32 and 36 weeks will be randomly assigned to one of the two bathing methods.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: swaddle bathing (a bathing technique where the infant is wrapped in a thin cloth during the bath)
What this could lead to: If it works, this could offer a simple, low-cost way to make bath time less stressful for preterm babies in the NICU.
What could go wrong: This is a small pilot study with only 40 infants, so results may not apply to all preterm babies. The intervention is brief and may not show a clear benefit over standard care.

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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

About 40 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Apr 2024

Expected to finish

May 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

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

1 day 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 * Gestational age between 32 and 36 weeks and 6 days * Birth weight greater than 1,500 grams * Clinically stable as determined by the attending neonatologist * Receiving the first bath after birth Exclusion Criteria * Major congenital anomalies, such as cyanotic heart disease, gastroschisis, or open spinal defects * Severe intraventricular hemorrhage (Grade III or IV) * Skin impairments or open wounds that contraindicate water immersion, including surgical sites * Continuous use of sedatives or muscle relaxants that may interfere with behavioral assessments

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As listed by the trial registrant

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

Preterm infants

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
The official record

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Wrapped and soaked: could a simple bathing technique soothe preterm babies?

What the study statuses mean