The Effectiveness of Massaging, Swaddling, and Reflexology Intervention in Mothers’ Practices Regarding Infantile Colic

Background and objectives: During the first few months of a baby's life, the parents should deal with terrible condition of infantile colic, in which the infantile cries, groans, or otherwise displays signs of suffering. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of massage, swaddling, and reflexology intervention programs in the practices that mothers use to treat infantile colic. Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental research design was employed to investigate 60 mothers (30 subjects in the intervention group and 30 subjects in the control group) who attended treatment and routine follow-ups in outpatient primary health care centers for infantile colic in Erbil from August 1, 2022, to December 1, 2022. A format for health education programs was constructed and designed based on related literature. The data were collected through face-to-face interview techniques, the post-test was administered after one month of intervention with the program. ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant Findings: According to the findings, almost all of the infants in both groups were in their second month of life. Comparing mothers` practices for massaging, swaddling, and reflexology score between the control group and the intervention group before the intervention program (pretest) showed no statistically significant difference. However, there was a statistically significant difference in the mothers` practice for massaging, swaddling, and reflexology score between the control group and the intervention group after the intervention program (post-test). Moreover, there was a statistically significant median increase in massaging, swaddling, and reflexology scores (between the pre- and post-test) of both groups. Conclusion: Based on the results, it can be concluded that massage therapy, swaddling, and reflexology care can be significantly effective in managing infantile colic.