Increased activity leads to increased levels of hunger, especially when food intake is not also increased.

Massage increases premature babies' curiosity about their environment, and curiosity leads to increased activity.

Increased activity causes the intestines of premature babies to mature more quickly, enabling the babies to digest and absorb more of the nutrients in the milk they drink.

Massage does not increase the growth rate of babies over one year old, if the babies had not been previously massaged.

Premature babies require a daily intake of nutrients that is significantly higher than that required by babies who were not born prematurely.