Abstract Background Among the practices of complementary medicine used to treat several diseases is the Spiritist “passe (SP).” Experimental studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of this energy therapies in reducing anxiety in adults. However, studies evaluating the effects of the “passe” energy therapy on health outcomes in newborns (NBs) are lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of SP on stress hormone levels, pain, physiological parameters and length of stay in NBs. Methods NBs were randomly allocated into two groups: intervention (3 days SP sessions, n=13) and control (3 days sham sessions, n=12). Results In the SP group, respiratory frequency (RF) was found significantly lower (p<0.05), and reduction of heart rate and length of stay were observed, without statistical differences. While in the control, there was higher tendency of cortisol levels (p=0.05). Conclusions In this pilot study, RF reduced and prevented the elevation of the salivary cortisol concentration in preterm NBs receiving the SP compared with the control group.