Clinical studies presented by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) show parents and babies benefit from infant massage. Soothing strokes of the hand may calm fussy infants and help fathers and mothers, along with family members and caregivers, bond with a newborn baby. Infant massage techniques are easy to learn and simple to execute.
Fundamentals
Perform the infant massage in a warm room and put the baby on a soft and safe surface. A double bed or larger is ideal. Use a lotion, oil or cream specially formulated for the baby's sensitive skin. Place a small amount of lubricant in your hands and rub them together to warm it up. The Ohio State University Medical Center recommends using small circular strokes with your fingertips and larger circular strokes with your palms. Start your infant massage with full palm strokes to create your initial connection and increase the baby's sense of security. They also suggest singing and speaking softly with the baby during the massage.
Post-natal Depression
Both mother and baby are negatively affected by postnatal depression. A study on the benefits of infant massage conducted by the Imperial College Faculty of Medicine and published in the Journal of Affective Disorders researchers found that "massage group mothers showed a (greater) clinical reduction in Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores" than the mothers who participated in a support group. Additional findings show, "massage group mothers had non-depressed levels of sensitivity of interaction with their babies, whereas the support group did not."
Premature Infants
Effective and inexpensive, infant massage therapy presents a useful tool for caregivers in the developmental care of premature infants. The Children's Hospital Newborn Special Care Unit at Doctors West reports in an article published by Neonatal Network that properly applied massage therapy facilitates weight gain, higher developmental scores and shorter hospital stays.
Mental and Physical Health
A comprehensive analysis of previous studies on infant massage conducted by University of Warwick Medical School and posted by the NIH concludes, there is "some evidence of benefits on mother-infant interaction, sleeping and crying, and on hormones influencing stress levels."
Colic
A colicky baby is a healthy baby between three weeks and three months of age that "cries more than three hours a day, for more than three days a week," according to the University of Michigan Medical Center. Parents can learn to administer proper infant massage for colic as an all natural drug-free remedy to calm their newborn.
References
- The Ohio State University Medical Center: Guidelines for Infant Massage
- Journal of Affective Disorders: Postnatal Depression and Mother and Infant Outcomes After Infant Massage
- Neonatal Netw: Premature Infant Massage in the NICU
- NIH: Massage Intervention for Promoting Mental and Physical Health in Infants Under Six Months
- University of Michigan Medical Center: Colic
