A baby’s nervous system is immature at birth. Infants live
in a world full of sound, color, light and sensations without the tools to
completely process them. We sometimes describe the panicky, fussy state a
newborn reaches as “disorganization”- not unlike the way adults feel when they
can’t quite get everything together. How does massage, or nurturing touch, fit
into this picture? Stimulation of the skin promotes nervous system development.
Thus, babies who are massaged become better “organized”. Touch also helps
babies learn to relax. This relaxation in turn reduces fussiness. Deeper
relaxation often allows sleep to come more easily and more deeply.
Development of a Healthy Digestive System
Massage strokes can improve baby’s digestion. Always stroke
a baby’s tummy with gentle but firm pressure, in a clock-wise direction. The
direction of your strokes is important in this area, because you must move in
the direction that food moves through the digestive system. A tummy massage
will help relieve baby’s gas and constipation. Massage in the abdominal area
also strengthens the digestive system. The research is inconclusive on the
reasons for this improvement. One study attributes the massaged baby’s better
digestion to an increase in the baby’s production of insulin, a food absorption
hormone. Given this, it’s not surprising to learn that babies who are massaged
also gain weight more readily.
Colic Relief
Colic refers to uncontrolled episodes of crying in an
otherwise healthy baby. This can be torturous for both baby and parents. Since
there is no medically agreed upon cause for colic, finding relief can be an
especially hard process of trial and error. The use of regular massage is one
tool to help relieve the distress babies and parents experience due to colic.
An instructor of infant massage can demonstrate a specialized massage routine
that serves as a “prescription” for colic.