We all know the health benefits of massage for adults are aplenty. But did you know infants also respond to therapeutic touch?
Massaging your newborn is a good way to soothe, calm and comfort her, not to mention create a bond during those early weeks of life, according to Linda Merry, a licensed occupational therapist and certified infant massage instructor at Easter Seals Disability Services.
In addition to enhancing parent-infant attachment, massage offers a number of benefits, she told the Chicago Daily Herald. The technique can help babies feel loved, promote better sleep habits, improve blood circulation or breathing patterns, build a parent’s self-esteem, facilitate body awareness and modulate sensory information.
For babies, the experience is as much about the eye-to-eye contact with their parents and the nurturing engagement as it is the massage itself, according to the article.
The practice, which is being embraced by pediatric therapists, has been shown in studies to be beneficial for both parents and newborns.
Moms and dads using massage techniques often experience a self-esteem boost as babies begin to greet them with more eye contact, smiling, vocalizing and reaching responses, added Leticia Alvarado, a certified infant massage educator and child life specialist at St. Alexius Medical Center, in the Chicago Daily Herald.
One new mother told the newspaper that the massage techniques she learned after the birth of her son have been beneficial.
“Since Brady was in the NICU for six weeks, I wasn’t able to hold him for the first 10 days,” said Gina Coulter. “Infant massage was a nice calming bonding experience. Because Brady had special needs and wasn’t able to nurse or bottle feed, I worried we were missing out on a nice snuggle-bonding time. Not only is infant massage healthy for Brady, I use it as a way to connect with him.”
For tips on how to massage your infant, check out this article from Parents.