RICHIE MCFARLAND CHILDREN’S CENTER

11 Sandy Point Road

Stratham, NH  03885

(603) 778-8193

www.richiemcfarland.org          

INFANT MASSAGE

 

Children need physical contact for healthy growth and development. Normal affectionate touching is important but a regular routine of infant massage can offer additional benefits to both the child and the caregiver.

 

Infant massage originated out of Eastern European and Asian cultural practices and came to the United States as early as the 1970s. Its popularity only began to grow a few years ago. There are now thousands of certified infant massage therapists offering one-on-one training or group classes to parents.

 

Although most of the research supports benefits of infant massage for premature babies, healthy babies can also experience a variety of behavioral and developmental improvements when they receive regular massages from their parents or caregivers.

In addition to the actual physical benefits, infant massage can become a regular physical exam, alerting parents to subtle changes in their baby’s health.  If scheduled regularly, it also can result in precious “down time” for both the parent and the infant.  When the infant is lying on his or her back with focused eye contact from mom or dad, parents become role models for active listening, empathy and support. 

 

Exeter mom Tracy Martel has been massaging her 13-month-old daughter Grace since she was six weeks old.  “Early on the massaging really helped us to deepen our bond and tune into each other,” says Tracy. “We created a routine around bedtime which really soothes and relaxes her.” Grace especially likes her legs and feet to be massaged but not her arms.  It is important to read your child’s cues—what feels good to them and what doesn’t—in order to reap the benefits of massage.

 

The University of Miami's Touch Research Institute (TRI) has published numerous research studies that support infant massage.  Much of TRI’s research reports on the effect of touch and massage on premature infants in neonatal intensive care units.

One of the most cited studies at TRI showed that premature infants who were massaged for 15 minutes three times a day, gained 47% more weight, were more alert, scored better on the Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment Test and were released from the hospital six days earlier than preterm infants who were not massaged. Eight months later, the massaged infants maintained their weight gain and showed enhanced cognitive and motor development.

 

Until recently, fragile pre-term babies were touched infrequently. The medical community has slowly been accepting the idea that massage helps premature babies. Despite growing evidence of its benefits, most insurance companies will not cover infant massage and only a handful of hospital nurseries in the United States offer this service.

 

Studies from journals and infant massage training groups who work with healthy infants, report the following benefits:

Reduces stress responses to painful procedures such as inoculations;

Improves circulation and muscle tone;

Improves developmental transitions;

Enhances development of the nervous system;

Reduces colic, fussiness and irritability;

Increases alertness during wake times;

Enhances senses;

Improves digestion;

Reduces pain associated with teething, gas and constipation;

Strengthens the immune system;

Helps induce sleep;

Facilitates the parent-infant bonding process in the development of warm, positive relationships; and

Makes parents "feel good" while they are massaging their infants.

 

Elisabeth Robinson has seen first hand the value of infant massage.  Formerly a labor and delivery nurse, Elisabeth has been teaching parents how to massage their babies for the past 15 years.

 

“I have seen some amazing results,” says Elisabeth, “One mother brought her colicky baby to me after nothing else worked to calm him.  The baby stopped crying after two days of massage and was sleeping through the night after two weeks.” Elisabeth works as a family nurse practitioner at Whole Life Health Care in Newington and teaches infant massage through Portsmouth Regional Hospital.

 

Elisabeth points out that massage is an inexpensive way to give your child lots of attention and to help manage challenging behavior. Most parents find that they are forced to reduce massaging their child between the ages of one and two years—the kids are simply too busy.  She encourages parents to resume routine massaging at two years and to continue periodically through their teens.  “Even a little foot rub when they are reading a book is good,” she says.

 

For more information on infant massage, contact the following: International Association of Infant Massage (US Chapter) at www.iaim-us.com; and Touch Research Institutes at www.miami.edu/touch-research.  The Family Resource Connection at the NH State Library has instructional materials and tapes available for parents to borrow at no cost.  Contact Coordinator Alice Nye at 800-298-4321.

 

Peggy Small-Porter is the executive director at the Richie McFarland Children’s Center in Stratham.  Email her at psmallporter@richiemcfarland.org.  Seacoast Newspapers and RMCC provide this column as a public service.