Are Newborns Conscious of the Placebo Effect? Result From an RCT in Osteopathy

Results from previous studies suggest the association between Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) and length of stay (LOS) reduction in a population of preterm infants.

The primary objective of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of sham OMT in reducing LOS in a sample of preterm newborns, in order to investigate whether previous clinical results could be related to a hypothetical placebo effect.

Inclusion Criteria:

• preterm infants born at age between 29 and 37 weeks
• sham osteopathic treatment performed < 14 days after birth
• preterm infants born in the same hospital

Exclusion Criteria:

• gestational age < 29, > 37 weeks;
• sham osteopathic treatment performed > 14 days after birth;
• newborn transferred to/from other hospital;
• newborn from to HIV seropositive and/or drug addict mother;
• newborn with genetic disorders, congenital abnormalities, cardiovascular abnormalities, neurological disorders, proven or suspected necrotizing enterocolitis with or without gastrointestinal perforation, proven or suspected abdominal obstruction, pre- and/or post-surgery patients, pneumoperitoneum and/or atelectasis.