Question

Choose the letter of the implied main idea of the passage below. Developmental psychologist Tiffany Field found that premature babies who were massaged for fifteen minutes three times a day gained weight about 50 percent faster than a control group of premature babies who were not massaged and were left in their incubators. The massaged babies also became more active than the control group. And they became more responsive to stimuli such as faces and rattles, suggesting that their nervous systems developed more rapidly. The children who were touched were discharged earlier from the hospital. Also, the medical costs of the massaged infants averaged three thousand dollars less than children in the control group. Furthermore, the effects were long-lasting: Eight months later, the massaged infants performed better on measures of mental and physical abilities than did the unmassaged babies, and they weighed more as well. The costs of medical care for premature babies can be kept down through an inexpensive program of massage. One study indicates that premature infants benefit greatly from massage.

a) Massage is a highly effective medical treatment.
b) Active treatment can greatly affect newborn infants in a variety of ways.
c) Premature infants benefit greatly from massage.
d) The costs of medical care for premature babies can be kept down through an inexpensive program of massage.

Answer 1

The passage implies that premature infants greatly benefit from massage, as indicated by significant health and developmental gains when compared to non-massed peers, supporting long-term cost-effectiveness.

Step-by-step explanation:

The implied main idea of the passage presented is that premature infants benefit greatly from massage. This is supported by the outcomes observed in the study: massaged premature babies gained weight faster, became more active, more responsive, and incurred lower medical costs compared to the control group. Even after eight months, the benefits persisted, showing better performance in mental and physical abilities and increased body weight.

Research in developmental psychology underlines the importance of touch in neonatal care for the growth and development of infants. Reflexes like the Moro and grasping reflex illustrate the neonate's biological need for close physical contact, which aids in their survival and psychosocial development. Massage, as a form of touch, appears to promote health benefits that extend beyond the immediate soothing effects, indicating a profound impact on development in preterm infants.