The purpose of this study was to assess the body-weight gain of combined acupressure and meridian massage in premature infants. A double-blind clinical trial was conducted in a medical centre in central Taiwan. Forty subjects were randomised into two groups. The 20 subjects in the experimental group were given a standard procedure of acupressure, abdominal rubbing, spleen and stomach meridian massage, and kneading the points along the spine of the bladder meridian. These treatments were administered for 15 min per session, 1 h before meals, three times daily over 10 days. The control group, also consisting of 20 subjects, underwent routine care and was observed. The infants’ body-weights and the volume of milk ingested were measured and recorded daily. The daily average weight gain of the infants in the experimental group was 32.7 g (SD 8.1) compared with 27.3 g (SD 7.7) in the control group. In the first week there was no significant difference in weight gain between the two groups; in the second week, the weight gain observed in the experimental group was significantly higher than that observed in the control group, to provide a more effective level of clinical care for premature infants.