In 2000, the study conducted by V. Huhtala, et. al., aimed to assess the effectiveness of infant massage as compared to the use of a crib vibrator in treating infantile colic. The participants included infants under seven weeks of age, identified as colicky by their parents, with 28 infants assigned to the infant massage group and 30 to the crib vibrator group. Both groups were instructed to implement three daily intervention periods. Parents maintained a structured cry diary for one week before the intervention and for three weeks during it, recording infant crying and interventions. Interviews were conducted with parents after the first and third weeks to gather their evaluations of the effectiveness of massage or crib vibration.

At baseline, the mean total crying duration was 3.6 hours/day for the massage group and 4.2 hours/day for the vibrator group. Colicky crying amounted to 2.1 hours/day and 2.9 hours/day, respectively. Both groups showed a significant reduction in total and colicky crying over the four-week study period. The decrease in crying was comparable between the two groups, with total crying decreasing by approximately 48% in the massage group and 47% in the vibrator group. Colicky crying decreased by 64% and 52%, respectively. The amount of other crying (total crying minus colicky crying) remained stable in both groups. Notably, 93% of parents in both groups reported a decrease in colic symptoms over the three-week intervention, with 61% in the massage group and 63% in the vibrator group perceiving the intervention as effective in reducing colic.

In conclusion, the study found that infant massage was similarly effective to crib vibration in reducing crying among colicky infants. The observed reduction in crying may reflect the natural course of early infant crying and colic rather than a specific effect of the interventions. The high percentage of parents reporting a decrease in colic symptoms suggests a positive perception of both infant massage and crib vibration as viable approaches to alleviate colic in infants.

Reference: Huhtala, V., Lehtonen, L., Heinonen, R., & Korvenranta, H. (2000). Infant massage compared with crib vibrator in the treatment of colicky infants. Pediatrics, 105(6), e84-e84.