A Loving Touch

Top 20 Benefits of Infant Massage

By Kelly Camden, Certified Doula

"Touch is as necessary to the human body as is food." – Peggy O'Mara

In the womb, babies are cocooned in a warm environment. They are continuously receiving nourishment and physical contact from their mother.

Following birth, the baby's need for nurturing touch does not diminish. In fact, the amount of physical contact an infant receives correlates to her ability to handle stress and respond to others with love. Regularly receiving nurturing touch also improves the development of the brain.

Traditionally, many cultures recognized the importance of loving touch. Massage is simply a part of daily life. In India, the practice of massage is a skill passed down from mothers to daughters. Their massage is often accompanied by song. Various massage techniques are used to promote general wellbeing and to combat illness.

When we think about how nice it feels to receive a massage from the hands of someone we trust, it is easy to understand why massage would soothe babies as well. Studies show that physical contact is crucial for optimal health and development. It has been proven that babies who are massaged regularly are ahead in both neurological development and weight gain.

"Loving touch triggers physiological changes that help infants grow and develop, stimulating nerves in the brain that facilitate food absorption and lowering stress hormones, resulting in improved immune system functioning," says Tiffany Field, founder and director of the Touch Research Institute, which coordinated with the University of Miami Medical Center to study premature babies.

Infants whose parents give them massage on a regular basis tend to cry less than infants who are not massaged. This may be related to the fact that they experience longer, sounder periods of sleep and produce fewer stress hormones than babies who are not massaged. In addition, with regular massage, there is improved function of the digestive system. Infants who experience massage also gain a strong bond with their parents through this baby-focused and nurturing interaction.

Want to see more?

• Check out our Article Library.
• Infant Massage: The Therapy of a Loving Touch
• Loving Touch Times Two: Massage for Multiples
• Music in the Womb: Bonding with Baby Before Birth
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