Infant massage

History

Ayurvedic medicine in ancient India taught the use of infant massage. It was also has been encouraged in China during the Qing dynasty. At present it is part of traditional childcare in South Asia and elsewhere where daily massage by mothers is seen as "instilling fearlessness, hardening bone structure, enhancing movement and limb coordination, and increasing weight". Other areas where infant massage is regularly used are African countries and areas in the former Soviet Union. In Western culture, infant massage has been increasingly used in neonatal intensive care units for pre-term infants who are in stressful environments and have limited tactile stimulation.

Research

A 2013 Cochrane review of massage therapy for babies less than 6 months of age who were born at term found that the evidence was insufficient to support its use. A 2004 Cochrane review looking at massage therapy for pre-term and low birth weight was insufficient to justify its use. Studies have shown improvements in sleep quality in babies who received massage therapy. Combined with conventional phototherapy, infant massage improved bilirubin levels, and it also acted prophylactically against jaundice in healthy newborns. Research indicates that infant massage can effectively support motor development across multiple domains, including locomotion, stationary abilities, reflexes, visual-motor coordination, and hand-eye coordination. Benefits have been observed in both typically developing infants and those with conditions such as prematurity or Down syndrome, likely through stimulation of limb movement and overall motor activity.

Emotional and Social Benefits

Infant massage has been associated with enhanced emotional and social development in both infants and caregivers. Regular massage can strengthen parent-infant bonding, fostering closer interaction, reinforcing emotional attachment, and improving the overall quality of parental care. Caregivers, particularly mothers of preterm infants, often report reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms, along with increased confidence and satisfaction in their parenting role after learning infant massage techniques. In addition, practicing infant massage has been shown to positively influence maternal mental health, with decreases in physiological stress markers such as cortisol, reflecting reduced stress levels.

Proposed mechanisms

Various mechanisms have been proposed as to suggest how massage therapy might benefit infants. For pre-term infants, it has been suggested that any weight gain may be due to improved metabolic efficiency or by reducing the adverse reaction of stress through decreasing stress behavior or stress hormones.

Safety

Reviews of the literature have found no significant risks for adverse events with massage theory with either full term or pre-term infants.

References

References

1. Johari H. (1996). Ayurvedic Massage: Traditional Indian Techniques for Balancing Body and Mind. Inner Traditions Bear and Company. {{ISBN. 978-0-89281-489-3
2. Furth C. (1987). Concepts of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Infancy in Ch'ing Dynasty China. Journal of Asian Studies, 46:7-35. {{JSTOR. 2056664
3. (1987). "The role of massage in south Asia: child health and development.". Social Science & Medicine.
4. (2013-04-30). "Massage for promoting mental and physical health in typically developing infants under the age of six months". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
5. (2004). "Massage for promoting growth and development of preterm and/or low birth-weight infants". Cochrane Database Syst Rev.
6. Suparmi, Suparmi. (2024-02-01). "The Effect of Baby Massage on Nursing Care for Healthy Babies to Improve Sleep Quality and Smooth Defecation". Archives of the Medicine and Case Reports.
7. (2024-04-05). "The Effect of Baby Massage on Body Weight and Sleep Quality of Babies Aged 3-6 Months". Health and Technology Journal.
8. (2022-05-24). "Effects of Infant Massage: A Systematic Review". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
9. (2024). "Potential of Massage Therapy for Improved Growth and Development Among Infants Under 9 Months: A Systematic Scoping Review of Intervention Type, Technique, and Outcome". Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare.
10. Nousia, Alexandra. (2023-05-25). "Healthy Touch and Infant Massage: Two Main Factors in Infants Daily Care and Healthy Development". European Journal of Education Studies.
11. (2022-07-04). "A qualitative study on mothers' experiences attending an online infant massage class: "It is funny! I feel close to my baby!"". BMC Nursing.
12. (2023-05-03). "Benefits of maternally-administered infant massage for mothers of hospitalized preterm infants: a scoping review". Maternal Health, Neonatology and Perinatology.
13. (2024). "Infant massage as a stress management technique for parents of hospitalized extremely preterm infants". Infant Mental Health Journal: Infancy and Early Childhood.
14. (2024). "Infant massage as a stress management technique for parents of hospitalized extremely preterm infants". Infant Mental Health Journal: Infancy and Early Childhood.
15. (2024-08-30). "Pediatric massage therapy in infants and children under 5 years: An umbrella review of systematic reviews". Heliyon.
16. (2005). "Traditional Massage of Newborns in Nepal: Implications for Trials of Improved Practice". Journal of Tropical Pediatrics.