. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2006 Jan 1.

Published in final edited form as: J Trop Pediatr. 2005 Jan 26;51(2):82–86. doi: 10.1093/tropej/fmh083

Table 1.

Reasons for giving neonatal oil massage, by season

Reason^*	Cold, % (n = 1472)	Moderate, % (n = 3472)	Hot, % (n = 3371)	Overall, % (n = 8315)
To make the baby strong	64.2	68.6	72.5	69.4
To keep the baby healthy	51.5	48.8	49.3	49.5
To keep the baby warm	53.0	44.4	31.9	40.8
To make the baby’s skin look good	21.7	25.3	22.7	23.6

Cold: December–February; Moderate: March–April, October–November; Hot: May–September.

Multiple reasons given per respondent.