Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Healthcare professionals and expecting mothers frequently voice concerns that massages during pregnancy might cause complications or premature labor. This PRISMA review outlines current results on effects, side effects and contraindications of relaxation massage during pregnancy. Inclusion criteria: all randomized controlled trials RCT comparing relaxation massage during pregnancy with standard care or standard care plus another intervention i.
Restrictions were full text availability and English language. Results: 12 RCT were included. Trials had good methodological quality but unknown risk of bias. All women were at least 12 weeks gestation at the start of the study.
The main benefits of massage during pregnancy were: reduced stress, back and leg pain, depression and anxiety; increased immune response; increased serotonin and dopamine levels; higher fetal birth weight and reduced risk of preterm delivery. Only 2 RCT reported potential side effects of massage, which were minor and transient.
Seven RCT excluded women with difficult pregnancies or preexisting complications, five studies did not report preexisting conditions. Those obstetric or postnatal complications that occurred were most likely unrelated to massage treatments. In healthy pregnant women without complications, relaxation massage has positive effects throughout pregnancy. Precautions for massage during pregnancy i. Massage treatments are a potent tool to alleviate stress, anxiety, pain and depression in various patient groups [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ].
Untreated or insufficiently treated prenatal depression is linked to complications during pregnancy [ 7 , 8 ], such as preeclampsia [ 9 ], early labor [ 10 ], and more frequent caesarian deliveries [ 11 , 12 ]. Aside from that, newborns delivered by mothers suffering from prenatal depression are more often in need of intensive care: children born by depressed mothers have a lower birth weight and a smaller head circumference than children delivered by healthy mothers [ 7 ].
