Massage therapy is usually thought of as an adult treatment. However, many people in the United States do not realize that massage therapy can actually be very beneficial to infants. In many other parts of the world, infant massage is frequently used. According to Vanderbilt University, infant massage has only just begun to be used in the United States.
When it is used it is quickly evident that the treatment is beneficial for both the infant and the parents. In fact, there are several distinct benefits of infant massage to the babies and the caregivers as well.
Bonding Time Between Parent and Child
Bonding is very important for new babies and parents alike. Massage can be a special time for bonding between the parent offering the massage and the baby. According to the University of Texas Health Science Center, there is absolutely no replacement for a parent’s loving touch. Through a parent's touch the baby is taught about love, comfort and feeling safe. Babies learn that mom and dad can meet their needs and resolve their problems and babies know the special touch that their parent gives.
Parents can also improve and strengthen communication levels between themselves and their babies when doing massage therapy. Parents begin to have an intimate understanding of what their child needs when they need it when they foster closeness with massage therapy.
Parents can benefit from massage therapy with their baby in other ways too. Some mothers who are experiencing postpartum depression may also get relief from this treatment. According to Vanderbilt University, depressed moms become more aware of their infant’s wants and needs when they participate in infant massage.
They also find that they can soothe the baby easier than before using massage therapy. Therefore, massage therapy has many benefits for both parent and child.
Stress Reduction for Infants
According to Vanderbilt University, massage therapy for infants has been found to reduce the stress of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Babies staying in the NICU are usually quite ill and require a lot of medical intervention. The touch that these babies experience during this time can be described as either positive or negative touch.
The positive touch is of course good touch where the babies feel loved and cared for. However, the negative touch can involve painful treatments such as insertion of an IV or needle sticks. This can cause a lot of excess stress on an infant that is already struggling medically. The infants may also have additional problems develop such as difficulty sleeping or irritability.
As a result, the infants learn that human touch is not a positive experience and may cry when someone touches them. To help retrain the baby, positive touch needs to be employed more frequently and one way to do this is through massage therapy.
To remedy this problem, Vanderbilt University has begun using the infant massage on its tiny patients and this is proving to be very positive. Vanderbilt University reports that infants who are given massage therapy are sleeping deeper and longer and resting better.
Physical Benefits for Handicapped and Disabled Children
Disabled, handicapped or premature children can be helped immensely by infant massage. According to Vanderbilt University, infant massage helps to stimulate breathing, blood circulation, digestion and bowel movements.
The baby receiving infant massage tends to become more relaxed when this technique is used and it is also useful in helping to heal sick infants. According to Vanderbilt University, premature infants with cerebral palsy have been found to develop increased motor activity. Also, low birth weight babies have been shown to gain weight when they are treated with infant massage.
Sources:
Healthpsych.psy.vanderbilt.edu; "Massage Therapy and Infants" (Accessed May 12, 2010)
Uthct.edu; "Infant Massage" (Accessed May 12, 2010)
Kristie Jernigan - Kristie Janeway Jernigan has worked in the health care arena for over 20 years. She has a Masters degree in Health Administration and is ...
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