Effect of Reflexology Intervention on Stress Levels, Sleep Duration, Sucking Frequency, and Crying Episodes in Newborn Infants

Reflexology is an alternative treatment method that has been increasingly used in recent years. This study aimed to determine the effect of reflexology intervention on stress levels, sleep duration, sucking frequency, and crying episodes in newborn infants. This study was designed as a randomized controlled trial. Using the block randomization method, 72 infants were included in the study (control = 36, experimental = 36). A demographic characteristics form, the Neonatal Stress Scale, and neonatal sleep duration, sucking frequency, and crying episodes form were used. Reflexology was applied to the left and right feet twice on the second day of the study, once in the morning and once in the evening. Within-group comparisons showed that the stress scale scores of infants in the experimental group decreased statistically significantly compared to the control group. One day before the intervention, sleep duration, sucking frequency, and crying episodes of the control and experimental group infants were similar. On the second and third days, when the intervention was applied twice, the sleep duration and sucking frequency increased, and the crying episodes decreased. Reflexology was found to decrease stress, crying episodes and increase sleep duration and sucking frequency in newborn infants.