Prevalence and perceptions of infant massage in India: study from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh states

BMC Pediatrics

Table 4 Types of oil used for infant body massage

Oil used for massage	Maharashtra	Madhya Pradesh	Total
Proprietary Ayurvedic^a oil (sesame oil base)	36.2	18.3	30.8
Coconut oil	17.6	2.9	13.2
Proprietary baby oil^b (mineral oil base)	15.5	8.4	13.4
Mustard oil	5.9	19.5	10.0
Olive oil	0.4	29.4	9.0
Cooking oil^c	7.9	0	5.5
Proprietary oil- (olive oil base)	8.5	5.5	7.6
Other oil	4.9	13.2	7.3

^aAyurvedic- Based on Traditional Indian medicine system, mostly sesame oil treated with herbs mentioned in the Ayurvedic texts
^bPetroleum-based mineral oil with fragrance marketed as baby oil
^cEdible plant seed oil sunflower, safflower and/or soybean oil, rarely groundnut oil

ISSN: 1471-2431