Mild adverse events in paediatric massage therapy (n=20)
| First author (year), location Design | Indication for treatment | AE Severity | n event/N population | Age | Time of AE | Gender | Type of MT | MT practitioner | Outcome (grade) | Notes from study authors |
| Patel Gera and Haynes (2017),56 USA Case report | Examining of MT for reflux | Bruising and dry patches on face Mild | 1/1 | 6 weeks | 3 days after MT | M | Craniosacral massage | Not reported | No major complication (grade 1) | Vitamin K deficiency bleeding was confirmed after rapid elevation of international normalised ratio; the craniosacral massage therapy was the cause of his superficial bleeding |
| Li et al (2015),64 China Case report | Repeated vomiting | Bruising Mild | 1/1 | 5 years | NS | M | Traditional Chinese massage therapy (ba sha) | Grandmother/mother | Bruising was mild (grade 1) (patient died due to strangulation) | An incidental case with multiple bruises over the chest, neck and shoulders resulting from traditional Chinese MT (ba sha), involving pinching the skin between thumb and index finger, for vomiting. Injuries resulting from ba sha were not the cause of death |
| Solanki et al (2005),58 India RCT | Examining MT with oil on growth and fatty acid profile of the infant | Skin rash Mild | 3/118 | 1–3 days | 3rd and 4th days | 47 F 71 M | Massage with safflower oil for 10 min, 4 times/day over 5 days | Trained massager | Resolved spontaneously (grade 1) | The rash resolved without treatment in 1–2 days despite continuing the oil massage |
| Sankaranarayanan et al (2005),59 India RCT | Examining MT with oil on weight and growth and AE | Skin rash Mild | 14/224 | 2 days | NS | NS | Massage 5 min 4/day with coconut/mineral oil or no oil | Trained person and mother | Resolved spontaneously (grade 1) | Massage in hospital and home continued for 30 days; mild rash occurred equally in all groups, coconut oil (n=5), mineral oil (n=5) and placebo (n=4), and did not require discontinuation of massage |
| Cullen et al (2005),62 UK Single-arm experiment | Examining MT on communication of autistic child | Worsened hyperactivity Mild | 1/15 | NS | After 24 h | M | 1 h weekly MT for 8 times by massager and daily by parent | Therapist and parents | No major complication (grade 1) | Eight other participants (2–13 years old, all with autism) who completed the study over 8 weeks reported ‘no obvious negatives’ |
AE, adverse event; F, female; M, male; MT, massage therapy; NS, not stated; RCT, randomised controlled trial.