Benefits of Infant Massage

Did you know that touch is the first sense to develop in the womb and the last sense to leave us when we
die?

Positive touch is essential for health

Benefits of Infant Massage  (for babies, mums and dads, caregivers)

• Improves Infant-Parent attachment or "bonding"*
• Relaxation of baby
• Makes baby feel loved
• Promotes better sleep of baby
• Facilitates baby’s body awareness
• Boosts baby’s immune system
• Is a sensory stimulation of baby assisting their senses to develop
• Improves skin condition of baby
• Improves baby’s blood circulation
• Helps baby’s digestion
• Balances baby’s respiration
• Can be a relief for teething pains in older babies
• Helps waste elimination of baby
• Can assist with colic
• Helps build both baby's and parents' self-esteem
• Helps parents learn about their baby (their needs and desires)
• Helps baby communicate with parents and parents to really hear their baby
• Relaxes parents too - is a pleasurable experience for both parents and baby
• Creates a special ‘us’ time of the day for parent and baby
• Stimulates production of endorphins (‘feel good’ hormones) and oxytocin – a hormone possibly released by massage in both male and female persons (animal studies suggest that oxytocin has actions within the brain that foster parental caretaking behaviour toward young offspring – i.e. assists bonding*!!!)
  

* Bonding is a reciprocal interaction; it is a process; it is love, security, connection, acceptance, peace, caring, respect, empathy, unity, warmth, joy, communication, understanding and familiarity (and many more positive states).

Bonding may be experienced through using all the senses: eye contact, touch, smell, taste and listening.

"Bonding is a unique relationship between two people. It is specific and endures through time."   M Klaus
It is never too late to bond.

Sandra Byrne is an Infant massage Instructor trained with the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM) in the UK and owner of Positive Health.