Baby massage therapy, often called infant massage, is the practice of providing massage to a young child. It is most often performed for the purpose of parent and child bonding, health optimization, to soothe or relieve pain, to reduce anxiety and to promote better sleep. Although not a traditional practice in America, baby massage has become increasingly popular due to awareness of research findings that document benefits.
History of Baby Massage
Although practiced for thousands of years in other cultures, baby massage was introduced to Americans by Vimala Schneider McClure, founder of the Association of Infant Massage, in the mid-1970s. As the therapeutic massage industry has continued to grow, many practitioners have been instructed in the use of baby massage and methods for teaching parents to apply the techniques at home.
Benefits for Healthy Babies
When done with healthy babies, infant massage helps with relaxation and overall health that results from optimal blood and lymph flow. A relaxing massage can improve babies' sleep both in terms of quality and quantity. Babies who experience the abdominal pain known as colic frequently experience relief from abdominal massage that stimulates nerves and circulation in the intestinal area.
Benefits for Preterm Babies
In her studies at the University of Miami's Touch Research Institute, Dr. Tiffany Field discovered that preterm infants receiving therapeutic massage gained 47 percent more weight (a critical factor in their being permitted to go home), were awake and active more than the control group and showed better performance on tests of motor activity, orientation and behavior regulation. Many health insurers are interested in this and other, corroborating, research and its possible impacts on the reduced length of hospital stays required for preterm infants.
Benefits for Stressed Babies
Angela Underdown, of the Warwick Infant and Family Well-being Unit, University of Warwick Medical School, England, says that studies have shown that massage lowered babies' stress hormones such as cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine, while increasing sleep-enhancing melatonin. Studies show that massage helps babies and children to be less anxious while receiving invasive and sometimes painful medical treatments.
Why Baby Massage Is Important
Massage addresses two of the most important considerations of parents, the physical well-being and relaxation of their children. Baby massage enhances tissue health by increasing circulation which distributes nutrients and oxygen and removes waste products. Baby massage also affects the recipients' hormone levels that regulate sleep, anxiety and relaxation.
How to Massage Your Baby
The primary factor in baby massage is touch. Use a pure cream or oil that is food-grade quality to provide adequate glide for your strokes, keeping in mind that the baby may well put hands or even feet in his mouth during or after the massage. The degree of pressure should be gentle but firm. Light touch often evokes a tickle response, which causes tightened muscles and tension, not relaxation. Soothe, don't tickle.
The overall intention is to bring circulation out from the trunk to the extremities by gentle strokes outward and then to facilitate lymph flow by stroking back toward the trunk. Massage the legs and feet first, then the arms and hands. When the baby tolerates massage in these areas well, add the chest area and the back. As the baby becomes accustomed to massage, add attention to the face after the chest and then finish with the back. Work up to the whole body massage slowly over a period of a week or two and give short sessions, perhaps only 5 to 10 minutes each day.
Care and Caution
Use care to be responsive to the cues your baby is giving. Excessive crying, pulling away or continued yawning are signs that the baby is not enjoying the massage. Stop and try again later. Provide massage with your baby lying on a blanket on the floor so that the slippery baby will not fall. Proceed slowly at a pace that is right for your child. Baby massage therapy should be a pleasant experience for both of you.
