Studies of comforting touch and massage have classified
touch and massage as (1) still, gentle touch;
(2) stroking/massage; and (3) stroking/massage combined
with tactile or kinesthetic stimulation. Findings from these
studies are difficult to compare because the samples have
included infants of varying GAs and levels of morbidity,
and because the types, amounts, and timing of the touch
interventions have varied widely. Some samples have included
very low–birth weight infants who might be considered
physiologically fragile, whereas others have included
infants of older post-conceptional ages (PCA) who might
be considered more physiologically stable.