Infant Massage Helps to Increase the Bond Between Fathers and Their Babies

 

This Father’s Day many new and expectant Dads will do the giving with the most simple of gifts: a father’s touch. More and more dads are learning and practicing infant massage, and a recent survey reveals that those who massage their babies early in life establish warm, positive relationships that continue as their child grows.

While the infant health benefits of a mother’s massage are firmly established, new research shows that a father’s touch is equally essential to a baby’s health and well being. Health benefits for infants include fewer sleep problems, as well as strengthening and regulating the digestive, respiratory and circulatory systems. Fathers also gain from the experience of infant massage.

“As they learn to soothe their babies, fathers notice their own stress levels decrease. Together they experience the calming, power of touch and begin to build life long attachments,” says Tiffany Field, Ph.D., director of Touch Research Institute University of Miami School of Medicine.

The survey showed that fathers who use massage techniques with their newborns experienced increased self-esteem as parents due to increased involvement with their newborns. The babies, meanwhile, greeted their fathers with more eye contact, smiling, vocalizing and reaching responses.

So this Father’s Day let the whole family experience the bonding that comes with infant massage!

Happy Massaging!

Valerie LMT CIMI

 

Tips and Tricks:

Baby Bodywork’s Infant Massage books are now available on Amazon Kindle.

Follow this link to check out the Relaxing and Calming book.

https://www.amazon.com/Relaxing-Calming-Infant-Massage-Partick-ebook/dp/B01GBMS0YI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466010157&sr=8-1&keywords=relaxing+and+calming+baby+massage+book