Liu C 2001 0 to 2 months.

Methods	Design: randomised controlled trial. Setting: China, community (specialised massage clinic and at home).
Participants	Sample sizes: n = 232; intervention n = 159; control n = 73. Ages: not stated, 0‐2 months. Gender: not stated.
Interventions	Massage 2 ‐3 times daily for 15 mins for at least 3 months (medium‐term duration of intervention).  Massage method by Johnson and Johnson. Carried out by parents who were first trained by doctors at a specialist massage centre. Telephone support and contact from doctors in first month. As touch group but without massage – treatment as usual. Massage provider: mothers trained by researchers.
Outcomes	Primary outcome data (Means and SDs): Bayley MDI mental development index, Bayley PDI psychological development index, sleep habits (good, not good, medium), growth (height, weight head circumference, chest circumference) statistical significance only using T and p. Illness (URTI, diarrhoea, anaemia). Timing: outcomes assessed at baseline and at 6 months from start of intervention.
Notes	Funder: not stated. If the babies developed anaemia during the studies they were treated with oral iron supplementations until the Hb levels reached normal and then for one month after.
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	High risk	Described in abstract of study as “randomly divided”, but no details given. Comment: judged as high risk, no further details available from trial investigator.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	High risk	No apparent attempt to conceal allocation, no details given Comment: judged as high risk, no further details available from trial investigator.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	High risk	No dropouts reported. Dropouts or losses to follow‐up not addressed in the study report.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	All pre‐specified outcomes reported.
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	Not blinded, not possible due to nature of intervention.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	High risk	No blinding of outcome assessors.