creators_name: Sowmya, SG creators_name: Avabratha, KS creators_name: Rai, BS creators_id: shreedharkdr@gmail.com editors_name: Kakkilaya, Srinivas editors_id: Kakkilaya BS type: journale datestamp: 2015-02-21 14:35:30 lastmod: 2015-04-20 11:44:21 metadata_visibility: show title: Vigorous Oil Massage in a Neonate: Cause for Fracture ispublished: pub subjects: OJHAS full_text_status: public keywords: Fracture; Newborn; Oil massage abstract: Massaging the newborn has been a tradition in India and other Asian countries since time immemorial. There are many benefits of traditional oil massage. Although considered as a safe practice with no significant harmful effects, rarely if performed improperly baby may end up having adverse effects like fracture. We report a forearm fracture in a neonate following vigorous oil massage. A 15 days old male baby was brought with the complaints of reduced movement, pain and swelling in right forearm of one day duration. The baby was born full term to a non consanguineous parent. His birth weight was 3.12kg and APGAR score was good. Post natal period was uneventful except for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia for which he had received phototherapy. At home he was getting daily oil massage and bath by traditional techniques. On examination there was diffuse, tender swelling on the ventral aspect of right forearm which was firm in consistency and there was paucity of movement. X ray revealed fracture of proximal radius and middle third of ulna. Skeletal survey did not reveal any other fracture. Baby was treated with a short arm, below the elbow cast. Absence of family history and no other bone involvement made osteogenesis imperfecta and child abuse less likely. In conclusion simple causes like oil massage also to be kept in mind in dealing with neonatal fractures. date: 2013-11-15 date_type: published publication: Online Journal of Health and Allied Sciences volume: 12 number: 3(19) publisher: Kakkilaya BS refereed: TRUE referencetext: 1. Kulkarni A, Kaushik JS, Gupta P, Sharma H, Agrawal RK. Massage and Touch Therapy in Neonates: The Current Evidence. Indian Pediatr 2010;47:771-776. Available at http://www.indianpediatrics.net/sep2010/sep-771-776.htm 2. Fernandez A, Patkar S, Chawla C, Taskar T, Prabhu SV. Oil application in preterm babies, a source of warmth and nutrition. Indian Pediatr. 1987;24:1111–1117. 3. Darmstadt GL, Dinulos JG. Neonatal skin care. Pediatr Clin N Am. 2000;47:757–782. 4. Pabst RC, Starr KP, Qaiyumi S, Schwalbe RS, Gewolb IH. The effect of application of Aquaphor on skin condition, fluid requirements, and bacterial colonization in very low birth weight infants. J Perinatol. 1999;19:278–283. 5. Agarwal KN, Gupta A, Pushkarna R, Bhargava SK, Faridi MM, Prabhu MK. Effects of massage and use of oil on growth, blood flow and sleep pattern in infants. Indian J Med Res. 2000;112:212–217. 6. Darmstadt GL, Saha SK. Traditional practice of oil massage of neonates in Bangladesh. J Health Popul Nutr. 2002;20:184–188. 7. Darmstadt GL, Saha SK. Neonatal oil massage. Indian Pediatr. 2003;40:1098–1099. 8. Grant KE. Massage safety: injuries reported in Medline relating to the practice of therapeutic massage, 1965–2003. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies 2003;7(4):207-212. citation: Sowmya, SG and Avabratha, KS and Rai, BS (2013) Vigorous Oil Massage in a Neonate: Cause for Fracture. [Journal (On-line/Unpaginated)] document_url: http://cogprints.org/9706/1/2013-3-19.pdf