Massage for Infants
I always gave my children massages when they were babies. Even now as a toddler, R will ask for a massage a couple of times a week.
Now there is new information out on massages for babies:
Giving babies massages helps them sleep better, cry less, and lowers their levels of stress hormones, say researchers who reviewed nine studies involving more than 600 infants younger than 6 months of age.
The review authors, from the University of Warwick in England, also found that massages help create a closer bond between babies and their mothers, The Age of Australia reported.
Most of the studies included parents who’d been trained in the correct techniques for massaging their babies. One of the studies found that massage affected the release of melatonin, a hormone known to help sleep patterns. Another study suggested that massage could help form stronger bonds between women with postnatal depression and their infants, The Age reported.
The review appears in the current issue of The Cochrane Library
October 18th, 2007 at 8:23 am
[...] show that massage is not just terrific for adults but also for babies. We know how a massage makes us feel and we know massage promotes overall health and well-being. [...]