Touch has been referred to as the ‘mother of all senses’ as it is the first sense to develop in the embryo, and all other senses-sight, sound, taste, and smell are derived from it. Humans crave physical touch and in utero, infants are exposed to physical stimulation.
Touch is a form of communication on the most basic, fundamental level, where there are no words or judgments or ego. It is simply the purest possible interaction between two people.
Touching a new born babe by family members and loved ones welcomes the new baby into the family structure by showing bub that he or she is not only safe and protected, but truly cherished. All parents have that power at their fingertips.
Touch is vital and establishes powerful physical and emotional connections between baby and his or her caregivers and touch plays an essential role for the development of attachment behavior and for the early social development of the young child.
“All humans need loving physical contact including babies. Parents can literally boost their baby’s immune function, accelerating healing and speed recovery from physical stress by giving their babies the gift of human touch. It’s powerful medicine.” (Mike Adams, natural health advocate USA). Touch is vitally important to communication and learning and is a powerful healing force.
“To be tender, loving, and caring, human beings must be tenderly loved and cared for in their earliest years, from the moment they are born. Held in the arms of their mothers, caressed, cuddled, and comforted.” - Dr Ashley Montagu.
The power of touch has been known for eons and infant massage has been around for centuries. Documented evidence of infant massage occurred as early as 2760 BC in China. It has been practiced for centuries in parts of South Africa, South America and the Far East as part of the mothering process. Infants have enjoyed its benefits as part of their daily lives in places such as Nigeria, Uganda, Fiji, New Guinea and Venezuela.
Within 3 weeks of conception, we have developed a primitive nervous system which links skin cells to our rudimentary brain. Because of this fact massage on any area of the body stimulates nerves which then effect different organs, relax muscles and effect secretion of a number of hormones and neurotransmitters for example, cortisol, serotonin, melatonin and oxytocin. All of these factors are critical to the maintenance of physiological and psychological regulation in infants, children and adults.
The Touch Institute of the University of Miami’s School of Medicine, Florida has conducted significant research on the importance of touch. When it was formally founded in 1992 by Dr Tiffany Field, The Institute was the first centre in the world devoted solely to the study of touch and its application in science and medicine.
Infant Massage is one of the most gratifying experiences that your baby can enjoy emotionally for healthy growth and development, and is a beautiful and simple way for you, as a parent, to express your love for your baby. A loving massage by a parent enriches a baby’s body and soul, and softens many of the “bumps in the road” for a new baby and his or her family.
Formal infant massage techniques involves the systematic touch by human hands in a particular sequence: legs and feet, buttocks, abdomen, chest, arms and hands, face and back.
Infant massage is composed of relaxing Indian massage strokes where the firm, deliberate strokes are directed away from the body, stimulating Swedish massage with strokes directed towards the body and some reflexology.
Parents who massage their infants become sensitive to and understanding of their baby’s cues and thus bonding is developed as parents engage and relax their child in a mutually pleasurable interaction. Infant massage contributes to infant-parent attachment.
Feeling tired because your baby isn’t sleeping, anxious because your baby’s crying a lot or stressed because he or she is suffering from wind, colic, reflux or constipation and it seems there is nothing you can do? Then learning infant massage techniques could be the answer you are looking for.
Infant Massage has been practiced for centuries. Documented evidence of infant massage occurred as early as 2760 BC in China. It has been used for centuries in parts of South Africa, South America and the Far East as part of the mothering process. Infants have enjoyed its benefits as part of their daily lives in places such as Nigeria, Uganda, Fiji, New Guinea and Venezuela.
Western society has been slow to embrace this systematic loving process. It was introduced to the United States in the 1970’s and in the 1980’s there was slow but steady recognition, primarily by parents with “well babies” and the 1990’s saw an expansion of infant massage techniques into hospital-based inpatient and outpatient programs as well as community programs for families with ‘at risk and/or special needs’ children.
Infant Massage gained popularity in the late 1990’s in the United Kingdom and was introduced to Australia in the last 20 years. Research and clinical studies have shown that infant massage can benefit babies in a number of different ways.
A very important benefit includes relieving stress in babies, in parents, grandparents and caregivers who massage their babies regularly and in young children who continue to receive massage on a regular basis.
Infant or Baby Massage incorporating Indian and Swedish Massage and some reflexology is now very popular in Europe, the UK, USA, Canada, South Africa and in the Asian countries. It is now fast becoming a popular practice for Australian families, with over 1000 parents attending infant massage classes in the past year.
Some of the Benefits of Infant Massage includes:
1 Massage and Sleep
When practiced correctly infant massage can increase serotonin levels and regulate melatonin secretion rhythms helping babies sleep for longer periods of time and regulate sleep patterns.
2 Reduces Crying Time
Various research studies on infant massage have shown that there is a significant reduction in overall crying time with infants and toddlers who receive massage.
3 Reduces the Discomfort of Colic, Wind and Constipation.
Infant massage also helps stimulate elimination of waste from the body and correct massage of the abdomen can encourage bowel movement and improve wind, colic and constipation. Learning the special colic massage can be enormously helpful and for many babies colic completely disappears. Additionally it can help reflux.
4 Reduces Stress in Mums and Dads
Mums and Dads benefit too as they are less anxious with massage lowering their cortisol production (the stress hormone) as well as improving moods and self esteem.
5 Strengthens Bonding
Bonding between parent and newborn may take time and does not always happen in the days following birth. Infant Massage promotes the release of oxytocin which is known as the “nurturing hormone”.
Later blogs will explore and explain some of the science behind these benefits. More benefits are listed on my website.
Learning the correct techniques and strokes from a qualified infant massage instructor is not hard for Mum and Dad, grandparents or any caregiver and once learnt is a rich a beautiful gift which you can keep giving your child well into adolescence and you never know, your child may well give the gift back and massage you!!!
