Massage Benefits
“Infant massage is a pleasant and effective way for parents to help their baby’s development in a variety of ways while enhancing the parent-infant bond.” – International Institute of Infant Massage
The Benefits of Infant Massage for Babies and Children
- Massage can relieve discomfort from teething, congestion, gas and colic, and emotional stress.
- Skin Stimulation-all the physiological systems are stimulated by massage. It speeds myelination of the brain/nervous system.
- Helps to encourage midline orientation.
- Helps baby/child to sleep deeper and longer.
- Enhances neurological development.
- Supports organization of the nervous system.
- Increases sleep periods and decreases fussy periods.
- Enhances baby’s immune system.
- Shortens lengths of stay in the hospital.
- Begins a pattern for stress release.
- Helps baby learn how to relax, which is a skill they can carry throughout life.
- Increases the oxygen and nutrient flow to cells, helps to deepen respiration.
- Facilitates weight gain in pre-term infants.
- Lowers levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.
- Assists oral-motor development which facilitates easier feeding.
- Enhances bond with parents.
- Infant Massage is an inexpensive tool.
Massage Benefits for Parents
- Helps to ease stress of a working parent who must be separated from the child during the day.
- Increases parents’ ability to help relax the child in times of stress.
- Infant massage enhances communication and builds respect.
- Provides an activity for quality time shared with your baby and a relaxing time for you.
- For mothers it releases the nurturing hormone oxytocin and prolactin, which is responsible for mothering instincts, milk production and weight loss.
- For fathers/partners it gives a specific physical activity with the baby to help them feel more integrated and competent in caring for their child.
Massage Benefits for Parents
- Helps to ease stress of a working parent who must be separated from the child during the day.
- Increases parents’ ability to help relax the child in times of stress.
- Infant massage enhances communication and builds respect.
- Provides an activity for quality time shared with your baby and a relaxing time for you.
- For mothers it releases the nurturing hormone oxytocin and prolactin, which is responsible for mothering instincts, milk production and weight loss.
- For fathers/partners it gives a specific physical activity with the baby to help them feel more integrated and competent in caring for their child.
Benefits of Touch for Babies with Special Needs
- Helps babies learn to integrate and process touch, especially for babies who have had repeated medical interventions.
- Increases baby’s ability to gain weight and therefore be discharged from the hospital earlier (Fields, 1991).
- Assists in improving body awareness (i.e., babies with visual impairments, Down’s syndrome).
- Helps oral-motor development which facilitates easier feeding.
- Decreases gas and assists with digestion.