Abstract
Objective: the present integrative review brings a scientifically based reflection on the potential benefits of infant massages on the modulation of stress in infants from 0 to 6 months of age in collective care settings. Methods: Between January 2007 and May 2018, from the CAPES Periodicals portal, 64 articles were included that contemplated the objectives of this study. From these, we selected those who assessed the stress of infants based on pain scales, biochemical markers and vital signs, and whose methodological descriptions described experiments performed specifically in a collective care environment, culminating in 18 articles. Results: the only study carried out in day-care centers was Brazilian and all the others, in hospitals, highlighting the Units of Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU). Regardless of the duration of the sessions and the period of application of the massages, most of the studies indicated changes in the stress indicators in the babies studied. The US was the country with the highest productivity. The Tiffany Field massage stood out among Western massage techniques. Only two studies described interventions with traditional massages: Shantala (Indian) and Yakson (Korean). Final considerations: the results of the studies indicate that several techniques of infant massage can promote changes in the indicators of stress among infants in a collective care setting. New studies are necessary to explore more deeply the infantile massages derived from the traditional knowledge of the people. The observed gaps encourage future studies of the same nature in nursery and institutional settings.