Massage is Good for Babies

Babies born prematurely are exposed to many stresses during their stay in intensive care nurseries, such as bright lights, blood drawing, invasive procedures and loud noises. Their immune system can be negatively impacted by stress. Research now shows that massage therapy has positive effects in terms of lowering stress and enhancing their immune system’s functioning.

Massage promotes growth and development in premature infants. Prior to birth babies are physically stimulated while in their mother’s wombs.

Premature and low birth weight babies are usually placed in incubators or open beds, are are connected to several monitors. This situation makes it very difficult to touch them as often as full term babies are.

The Touch Research Institute has conducted numerous studies that revealed the benefits associated with infant massages. It stimulates the immune system, and increases the baby’s resistance to infection. Also massaged babies gain weight faster.

It also stimulates an increase in oxytocin levels, a hormone that has pain relieving properties, and a calming effect.

A review of medical research studies found 14 randomized massage studies involving premature and/or low birth weight babies.

The review included studies in which a group of babies did not receive massage and were used in comparison to those who did. In most of these studies babies were rubbed or stroked for about 15 minutes, three or four times a day, usually for five or ten days. The studies found that when compared to babies who were not touched, babies receiving massage, gained more weight each day (about 5 grams). They spent less time in hospital, had slightly better scores on developmental tests and had slightly fewer postnatal complications, although there were problems with how reliable these findings are. The studies did not show any negative effects of massage. Massage is time consuming for nurses to provide, but parents can perform massage without extensive training.

Massage Benefits:

* Improves weight gain

*Helps the baby to become more organized

* Allows the baby to be more alert, so he can interact with you and others

*Helps start oral feeding earlier (rather than tube feeding)

*Promotes healthier bones

* Supports parent-infant interaction

*Facilitates weight gain in preterm infants

* Lowers levels of cortisol, the stress hormone

*Increases muscle tone

* Improves sleep and awake patterns

*Shortens hospital stay

*Improves motor and cognitive development at 8 months of age

* Infant massage is an inexpensive tool

*Can be incorporated as a part of the premature infant’s developmental care plan.

Benefits for Parents and Caregivers

* Provides all of the essential elements of intimate parent-infant bonding and attachment: eye-to-eye, touch, voice, smell, movement, and thermal regulation.

* Encourages pre-verbal communication between caregiver and infant

* Helps parents feel more confident and competent in caring for their children

* Helps to lower parental stress, if they are working and must be separated from their child for extended periods during the day

* Provides parents with one-on-one quiet time or interactive play with their children

* Creates a regular time of infancy between child and parent

*Elevates parents’ self-esteem by enhancing and reingforcing their skills as parents and validates their role

* Gives parents the tools for understanding their child’s unique behavior and patterns

* Teaches parents how to read their infants’ cues and recognize their states of awareness

* Gives parents a special way to interact with their children who may be hospitalized. Helps parents feel a greater part of the healing process

* Daily massage helps parents to unwind and relax

* Provides a positive way for fathers to interact with their infant children

Want to find out more about holistic family health, then visit Dr. Elaine Ferguson’s site on how to choose the best infant massage for your needs.