Infant or Pediatric massage is “A special massage geared for a newborn baby through the first several years of his or her life.” (Mitchell). The history of infant massage dates back to ancient times although it is still fairly new to our American culture. There are many benefits to infant massage and almost no negatives to be found. Until the surge of popularity of more natural childbirth techniques such as the use of midwives, infant massage was not much used in our Western culture. “Infant massage was introduced formally into the United States in 1978 when Vimala Schneider McClure, a yoga practitioner who served in an orphanage in Northern India, developed a training program for instructors at the request of childbirth educators.” (Spehar, 2001). Prior to that, infant massage has been popular for centuries in India and the Asian and Pacific Island cultures where the benefits of nurturing touch have long been recognized. It was often part of the daily ritual for baby to have a massage as a part of their bath time routine.
The benefits of infant massage are numerous in every way from emotional to physical. “…including helping to promote relaxation; improving sensory integration; helping aid deeper and longer sleep; encouraging mid-line orientation; assisting in bonding and attachment; helping improve state regulation; assisting in vocalization; stimulating the circulatory and GI systems; assisting in pain relief; and enhancing neurological development.” (Mathias, 2003). Infant massage has been proven to help develop deeper bonds between the caregiver and the infant as well as greatly increase development in babies that were born prematurely or who were exposed to drug abuse in the womb.
One study done on twenty preterm neonates found that utilizing infant massage practices for three, fifteen minute segments a day for ten days showed an average of a forty-seven percent increase in weight gain in the massaged babies over babies who were not exposed to these infant massage techniques. They also found that these babies were more active and alert than their un-massaged counterparts and that they developed motor skills faster. In addition to this the average hospital stay was roughly six days shorter which leads to a monetary savings for both the parents and the hospitals involved. (Field PhD, Schanberg MD, PhD, Scafidi MS, Bauer MD, Vega-Lahr MS, Garcia BS, Nystrom MD, & Kuhn PhD, 1986)
The benefits of infant massage do not stop at the babies involved. It has been found that the caregivers administering the massages can benefit greatly as well. The most obvious advantage is that a less fussy baby equals more relaxed parents. Practicing infant massage helps parents be more in tune with their babies needs and wants and makes it easier to determine what baby is asking for with less effort. Many parents notice an increase in confidence of their own abilities after becoming involved in infant massage and seeing the positive results that are direct responses to something that they have done with their own hands. Mothers suffering from postpartum depression can also greatly profit from providing infant massage due to the increased ease of bonding that is the automatic result of increased touch between mother and child. Massage also helps release oxytocin (also known as the cuddle hormone) which is another way to help amplify the bond between mother and baby. (Infant Massage USA, 2006)
While the superficial benefits of massage have long been known in our country, we are still finding more and more deeper ways that this ancient art can help in people’s lives. Infant massage is unquestionably advantageous with the only argument against it being that some babies may not like it. Our culture is drastically behind on some of these simple, obvious and wonderful practices that are second nature to those civilizations around us, little by little we are beginning to catch up. This art is growing everyday and, optimistically, soon it will be an automatic and integral part of raising a baby.
References:
Field PhD, T. M., Schanberg MD, PhD, S. M., Scafidi MS, F. S., Bauer MD, C. R., Vega-Lahr
MS, N., Garcia BS, R., Nystrom MD, J., & Kuhn PhD, C. M. (1986). Tactile/kinesthetic
stimulation effects on preterm neonates. Pediatrics, 77(5), Retrieved from
Infant Massage USA. (2006). Benefits of infant massage for parents. Retrieved from
Mathias, M. (2003, November). Infant massage - everyone benefits. Massage Today, 03(11),
Retrieved from http://www.massagetoday.com/archives/2003/11/05.html
Mitchell, M. (n.d.). Massage therapies. Retrieved from
Spehar, J. (2001). Infant Massage. Encyclopedia of alternative medicine. Retrieved from
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