Bonding Is Essential for Every Newborn
How infant massage can help form a bond that lasts a lifetime.
By Jennifer R. Bernardo

Touch is essential for the growth, development, and health of every baby. It has been shown that skin-to-skin contact has a measurable effect on brain development in the first year of life. While some people fear that frequent holding and touching may spoil a child, this will not happen in the first year. In the most extreme conditions, infants who are deprived of touch fail to thrive and grow normally. Infant massage is one of the ways parents can nurture and form a bond with their baby.

The intention of massage progresses and changes as a baby grows.  With a newborn, massage focuses on uncoiling the body, making the baby aware of his/her physical body, and introducing him/her to gentle touch. As the child grows, massage can release muscle tension that results from learning to crawl and walk, as well as stress and frustration from learning so many new things. Massage is also excellent for mommy/daddy and me time, especially when parents have been apart from their baby or have multiple children and are trying to give each of them individual attention. Massage can be a way to reconnect with older children; it gives parents an opportunity to ask about their friends, school, activities, etc. Some additional benefits include:

• Increases sense of being loved and accepted
• Stimulates circulation, which improves oxygen and nutrient flow to the cells and enhances removal of toxins from the cells
• Strengthens the immune system by stimulating lymph flow and increasing natural killer cells, which can positively impact children who suffer from immune disorders or cancer
• Reduces discomfort from colic, gas, constipation, teething, and congestion
• Improves sleep patterns, deepens sleep, and can contribute to longer periods of sleep
• Helps to develop coordination by encouraging midline orientation and using opposite limbs in rhythm

Tips and Guidelines

It is important to realize that a parent may not always give a “full” massage treatment to his/her baby every time. A parent needs to work with his/her baby’s mood and tolerance level. It is OK to do a partial treatment at one time and move to a different area another time. Babies are most receptive to touch beginning at their feet and legs.  Even if the intention is to massage the belly or back, it is good to introduce massage time by briefly touching the legs and feet first if the baby is fussy.

Use oil, cream, or powder when giving massage to ensure a nice glide over the skin and avoid friction. There are oils specially formulated for infants; a plain vegetable-based or grape seed oil will work as well. It is important to avoid oils or creams that contain mineral oil or petroleum, as they tend to clog a baby’s young skin. For hot, humid weather, cornstarch and clay-based powders are safe to use. All powders containing talc should be avoided due to the uncertainty of its safety around infant lungs.

Massaging a baby’s belly can be very soothing when the baby suffers from gas, constipation, or colic. Think of baby’s belly as a clock and always massage in a clockwise direction. This works with the natural flow of the digestive system and helps move things along.

When massaging arms and legs, use long, sweeping strokes, with a firmer pressure going up toward the heart and a very light return stroke. This works with the natural flow of circulation in the body.

There are very few situations in which infant massage is not appropriate. There are guidelines to follow, such as avoiding open sores, tumors, broken bones, etc.; however, infant massage is generally encouraged with any type of disorder. This includes premature infants, even if the only “massage” they receive is the gentle placing of loving hands on their skin. Premature infants who are massaged tend to gain weight more quickly and go home earlier than those who are not massaged.

Some babies take to massage right from the start, while others need time to adjust to it. Always work within a baby’s tolerance and slowly build up to longer sessions. Often it is not long before a baby or toddler starts to request massage either through words or gestures.

It is important to remember that any type of loving, gentle touching, cuddling, or holding will have a positive effect on any baby or child. The need for touch and human contact does not subside as we grow older, so feel free to keep up the routine as the child grows and keep reinforcing that bond.

Jennifer R. Bernardo, LMT, has been practicing massage for five years in Cumberland, Rhode Island. She is a graduate of the BancroftSchool of Massage in Worcester, Massachusetts. Contact her at 401-728-7746 or visit www.relaxing-touch.net.