Benefits of Infant Massage

Infant Massage benefits for baby, parents and society are numerous. A few of the benefits of regular baby massage are listed below. For a better understanding of these benefits, I encourage taking a class and reading material related to infant massage research and attachment parenting issues.

Benefits for Infants

• Improves immune system
• Helps baby learn to relax
• Promotes sounder and longer sleep
• Promotes positive body image
• Promotes bonding and communication
• Helps to regulate digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems
• Helps relieve discomfort from gas and colic, congestion, and teething
• Decreases production of stress hormones

Benefits for Parents

• Provides a special focused time that helps deepen bonding
• Helps parents to understand and respond appropriately to baby's non-verbal cues
• Promotes feelings of competence and confidence in caring for baby
• Improves parent-infant communication
• Increases parents' ability to help child relax in times of stress
• Eases stress of parent who must be separated from child during the day
• It is fun and relaxing for parents to massage their children

Other Benefits

• Cross cultural studies show that babies who are held, massaged, carried, rocked and breast fed, grow into adults that are less aggressive and violent, and are more compassionate and cooperative
• Recent research shows benefits for premature infants, children with asthma, diabetes, and certain skin disorders.
• Mothers with postnatal depression have shown improvement after starting infant massage
• Teenage mothers have shown improved bonding behaviour and interactions with their infants