THE INFLUENCE OF INFANT MASSAGE ON WEIGHT GAIN IN BABIES AGED 1-6 MONTHS

ABSTRACT


INTRODUCTION
Based on the results of the Indonesian Nutritional Status Study, the national prevalence of underweight toddlers (Weight for Age <-2SD) is 17%, and the prevalence of wasted toddlers (Weight for Length/Height <-2SD) is 7.1%.In East Kalimantan Province, the prevalence of underweight toddlers is 16.2%, while the prevalence of wasted toddlers is 8.1%.In the Kutaikartanegara district, the prevalence of underweight toddlers is 17.5%, and the prevalence of wasted toddlers is 9.0% (Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, 2021).Massage is the oldest method of treatment in the world.It encompasses healthcare and therapy that can relax stiff joints and unify body organs through strong strokes.Massage therapy is not only used in salons and spas, but also in various hospitals and healthcare centers for infants.(Syaukani, 2015).There are many benefits obtained from infant massage, including aiding the development and growth of brain cells.A child who receives regular guidance and stimuli will develop faster than a child who lacks stimulation.The quantity of an infant's sleep significantly influences the growth and development of their brain; therefore, the quality and quantity of infant sleep need to be maintained (Wahyuni et al., 2020).
Initial data collection in 2022 indicated that there were 649 toddlers in the working area of Sungai Mardeka Community Health Center.Out of these, 329 toddlers (50.69%) were weighed.Among them, 302 toddlers experienced weight gain,

METHOD
The type of research employed in this study is a quasi-experiment or a quasiexperimental design aimed at obtaining data and information that predict outcomes to be acquired in a true experiment.The research design is a Two Group Pretest Posttest design, where the research subjects are divided into two groups: the control group and the treatment group, and both pretest and posttest measurements are conducted.The population in this study consists of mothers who have one-year-old infants within the working area of Sungai Merdeka Community Health Center.The sample for this study includes all mothers who have infants aged 1-6 months within the working area of Sungai Merdeka Community Health Center, selected through purposive sampling technique.The research variables consist of infant massage classes and infant weight.The instruments used in this study include the Infant Massage module, baby weighing scales, and an observation sheet for infant weight with four evaluation points.

Source: Primary Data
The most common characteristic among respondents based on the baby's age in the intervention group is infants aged 3 months, with 5 respondents (33.33%), while in the control group, it is infants aged 2 months, totaling 9 infants (60%).The gender distribution of respondents in both the intervention and control groups is balanced, with the male gender in the control group comprising 7 individuals (46.67%) and in the intervention group comprising 7 individuals (46.67%).As for female infants, they account for 8 individuals (53.33%) in the control group and 8 individuals (53.33%) in the intervention group.Regarding the characteristic of birth weight, the most common range in the intervention group is birth weight between 2500-2900 grams, with 8 individuals (53.33%), while the lowest count is for infants with a birth weight between 3000-3400 grams, totaling 3 individuals (20%).In contrast, for the control group, the highest birth weight range is also 2500-2900 grams (53.33%), and the lowest is for infants with a birth weight between 3000-3400 grams, which includes 7 respondents (46.67%).Source: Primary Data Weight gain occurred in 19 individuals, consisting of 13 individuals (43.3%) in the intervention group and 6 individuals (20%) in the control group.Respondents who did not experience weight gain (unchanged) were 9 individuals, with 2 individuals (6.7%) in the intervention group and 7 individuals (23.3%) in the control group.There were 2 individuals (6.7%) in the control group who experienced weight loss, and no respondents in the intervention group experienced weight loss.

Source: Primary Data
The normality test results show that the data are normally distributed with pvalue greater than 0.05 for the Shapiro-Wilk test (intervention group 0.304 and control group 0.444), indicating that the Paired t-test can be utilized.Based on the results of the ttest using paired t-test analysis, a significance value of p=0.000 (p<0.05) was obtained.This signifies that there is an influence of infant massage classes for infants aged 1-6 months on weight gain.

DISCUSSION
The data obtained regarding infant weight gain reveals that a total of 19 individuals (63.3%) experienced weight gain.Among these, 13 individuals (43.3%) were from the intervention group, and 6 individuals (20%) were from the control group.Respondents whose weight remained unchanged were 9 individuals (30%), with 2 individuals (6.7%) in the intervention group and 7 individuals (23.3%) in the control group.Furthermore, 2 individuals (6.7%) from the control group experienced weight loss, while there were no respondents in the intervention group who encountered weight loss.Based on the t-test results, the significance value obtained is 0.000 (p<0.05),indicating that there is an influence of infant massage classes for infants aged 1-6 months on weight gain.This weight gain in infants is significantly attributed to the consistent provision of baby massage over the course of a month.Essentially, massaged infants experience increased enzyme absorption and insulin levels, which leads to better food absorption.As a result, these infants become hungrier and subsequently nurse more frequently, thereby increasing maternal milk production.
The effect of weight gain through massaging can also be observed in infants aged 1 to 6 months when massaged for 10-15 minutes daily.Infants who regularly receive massage demonstrate a significant weight gain compared to those who are not massaged.In conclusion, this research indicates a significant difference in weight gain between infants who received massage stimulation and those who did not.The massage was administered to infants aged 0-6 months for 15 to 20 minutes daily over a span of 4 weeks.The divergence in weight gain is observed at the 4-week mark.
This study aligns with research conducted by Ayse Gurol and Sevinc Polat (2012) titled "The Effects of Baby Massage on Attachment Between Mother and Their Infants."Using a T-Test, they found a pvalue of 0.001 (<0.05).The research revealed that infant massage is effective in enhancing the attachment between mothers and their infants.This study was conducted in Turkey, where children hold great value and importance.Turkish women strive to have children immediately after marriage (Gurol & Polat, 2012).Similar research is documented in the journal "Science Midwifery."A Quasi-Experimental design with a Cross-Sectional research design was employed, utilizing a checklist, infant massage SOP, and infant weighing scales.The results showed a p-value < 0.05, indicating an influence of infant massage on weight gain within the working area of Payung Sekaki Community Health Center in Pekanbaru, 2019(Susi Hartati et al., 2020).
Based on the findings of the study on the influence of infant massage on weight gain among infants aged 1-6 months at PMB Andi Herawati in 2023, it can be concluded that the training provided to mothers with infants aged 1-6 months, followed by a onemonth monitoring period, which included weekly massages, monitored through a WhatsApp group or direct home visits, significantly contributed to weight gain in infants aged 1-6 months.Therefore, in future research development, the researcher plans to incorporate baby massage as a healthimprovement endeavor during the growth and development process of infants.This research utilized a module or guidebook provided to mothers for conducting baby massages.The module or guidebook features barcodes for easy access via mobile phones, even if mothers don't have the physical guidebook with them.

CONCLUSIONS
Upon conducting the paired t-test analysis, a significance value of p=0.000 (p<0.05) was obtained.This outcome signifies that there is indeed a significant influence of infant massage classes on infants aged 1-6 months with regard to weight gain.In other words, this research demonstrates that infant massage classes have a noteworthy impact on the weight gain of infants aged 1-6 months.These findings emphasize the importance of providing infant massage as one of the strategies to enhance their weight gain and overall growth.

Table 3 .
The Influence of Infant Massage on Infant Weight Gain at PMB Andi Herawati