Infant Massage

This past weekend I attended an Infant Massage Instructor course through the International Loving Touch Foundation.  This course equips individuals to organize and lead a parent-infant massage program.

Infant massage is a positive interaction between a parent and infant using manual manipulation of soft tissues of the body.

There are many benefits of infant massage and they can be categorized into 4 categories:

1. Stimulation

• All senses are stimulated
• Weight Gain
• Communication, interaction with caregiver or parent
• Growth hormone production
• Immune system
• Increased myelination in brain
• Increased oxygenation to skin, all parts of the body

2. Relaxation

• Muscles
• Reduces stress levels
• Stress/relaxation cycle
• Release tension
• Pain management, comfort
• Development of Condition Relaxation Response (CRR)
• Teaches relaxation at a young age

3. Relief

• Colic, constipation, teething pain
• Move trapped gas and stool out of bowels
• Helps sleep disorders
• Regulates stress levels
• Release of pain from medical intervention/trauma
• Verbally reinforce pain release with use of visualization and positive affirmation

4. Bonding/Interactions

• Eye-to-eye contact
• Skin Contact
• Entrainment
• Promotes attachment and bonding between parent/caregiver and child
• Builds better relationships with parents and as adults with others
• Develops security and confidence in child, trusting/knowing they can be loved
• Quality one-on-one time between parents and child/infant

The list could continue on!

Why is infant massage something an OT would be interested in??

Our tactile system is the first to develop in in the womb.  As a baby, touch is one of the main ways we learn and explore the world.  As an OT student working in the NICU each week, positive tolerance and interaction with touch is a major component of our therapy sessions.  When a premature infant is used to the input of the womb and quickly has to adjust to the outside world before their systems are ready to do so, positive touch and interaction with their parents is a crucial component to healthy brain development. As listed below, touch can influence many aspect of early development all of which will affect the way in which a developing child will complete their daily activities and routines and interact with their environment as they grow older.  These are all things occupational therapists assess and evaluate throughout treatment.  Infant massage is just another "tool in our toolbox" to use to empower and educate parents when trying to help their children.

As outlined in our course last weekend, there are five aspects of early development influenced by touch:

1. Communication - Engaged pre-speech components and emerging speech (direct eye gaze, listening, turn-taking, etc.)

2. Motor - Improves muscle tone coordination and increases body awareness

3. Socialization - Infant and caregiver engage one another, infant usually in the quiet alert state

4. Self-Help - May stimulate oral motor musculature awareness, lip closure, relaxation of tension needed for swallowing, etc.

5. Cognition - Overall awareness of self and body boundaries, cause and effect, and increase attention span

I am so excited to see how infant massage can be incorporated into my professional career and how parents can benefit from this daily 15-20 min activity with their child.

There are multiple companies who offer infant massage information and resources.  They can be accessed through an easy google search.  For more information from the Loving Touch website, please visit:

http://www.lovingtouch.com/