AIM: To explore the effect of early touch intervention on the neurobehavioral rehabilitation of newborns with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). METHODS: Sixty newborns with moderate or severe HIE hospitalized in the Department of Pediatrics, Shangrao People's Hospital between June 2003 and June 2005 were randomly assigned to touch group (n = 30) and control group (n = 30). Both groups received routine pharmacotherapy and nursing care, and the touch group received additional whole-body touch and point massage in sequences of head, chest, abdomen, limbs, palm, fingers, sole of foot, toes and back for 15 minutes, twice per day continuously for 2 months. At baseline (the day of birth), 3, 7, 14, 28 and 60 days after intervention, all the subjects were evaluated by neonatal behavioral neurological assessment (NBNA) scale. The behavioral ability and active muscle tension of the 2 groups were also scored at different times. The statistical methods included independent sample t-test, Chi-squared test, ANOVA and GLM analysis. RESULTS: All the newborns of two groups completed the detections were involved in the result analysis. (1) The NBNA scores were significantly higher at 3, 7, 14, 28 and 60 days than those at baseline in both groups, with the significant difference (touch group: F5 = 177.46, p < 0.001; control group: F5 = 187.90, p < 0.001). The pairwise comparison between different times showed the scores of the touch group at 3, 7, 14, and 28 days increased gradually, with the significant difference (p < 0.001). And the NBNA scores were not significantly different between day 14 and day 28, and between day 28 and day 60 in the touch group (p > 0.05). The scores of the control group at 3,7,14,28 and 60 days increased gradually, with the significant difference (p < 0.05). GLM analysis showed the NBNA scores at 7, 14, 28 and 60 days were higher in the touch group than in the control group, with the significant difference (F1 = 94.21, p < 0.001). (2) In the touch group, there was no significant difference in the scores of behavioral ability and active muscle tension between day 3 and baseline, while the score of day 28 increased remarkably with the significant difference compared with day 3 and baseline (p < 0.05). As compared with baseline, the scores of behavioral ability and active muscle tension at day 3, day 28 increased in control group, with the significant difference (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Early touch intervention has assisted impacts on treating HIE, and improves the neurological and behavioral rehabilitation of newborns with HIE.

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