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Infant Massage Therapy
In 1992 a pilot program began at St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. called Tender Touch. Tender Touch is a parent education touch therapy program which provides instruction in Infant Massage Therapy. The program covers such topics as the importance of touch for hospitalized and premature infants, research supporting touch therapy and sensory development. They also talk about stress and overstimualation to the infant. Check with your hospital to find out what benefits and education they provide in Infant Massage Therapy. Massage and Bodywork Wellness Spa is now offering infant massage therapy classes to instruct parents in the proper techniques for infant massage.
It is important that you make sure the therapist you choose to work with you and your infant is properly trained in Infant Massage Therapy. The therapist must be educated in how different types of touch impact hospitalized infants and how to touch them appropriately so they accept the touch as a positive experience and not a negative one. Much of the touch a hospitalized infant receives is associated with pain, (needles, IV's, etc.) the infant associates this touch as a negative touch. (Massage and Bodywork Dec/Jan 2001 Issue, Article: Touch Therapy, page 12) Infant Massage needs to be a pleasant and positive experience for the infant.
Infant Massage Therapy is usually taught in two, 25-30 minute lessons; the actual massage should only take the parents about 15 minutes to complete once they have learned the techniques.
Research conducted at the Touch Research Institute has shown babies who are massaged consistently gain weight faster, have less apneas and bradychardias (pauses in breathing and heart rate) have better muscle tone and reduced levels of cortisol (a stress hormone, which among other things, inhibits the immune system).
Researchers at Duke University also performed a study, which found that massaging premature babies helped them gain weight faster than preemies who were not massaged. Researchers also concluded that massaging these infants helps improve sleep and relieves symptoms of colic. Through the research it was also discovered that preemies gained 47 percent more weight and were released from the hospital 6 days earlier compared to those infants not massaged.
For more information on Infant Massage consult the Massage Information Center on AMTA's home page for a listing of infant massage resources.