Learn more about INFANT MASSAGE

What is Infant Massage?
Benefits of Infant Massage...
Infant & Children's Massage & Touch Therapy Articles...
Specific Infant Massage & Touch Therapy sites...
Recommended Reading...

“It is through our hands that we speak to the child.
That we communicate. Touch is the child’s first language, understanding comes long after feeling”
Frederick Leboyer, M.D & author

What is infant massage?

Infant massage, otherwise known as baby massage, involves the parent or caregiver learning a series of strokes and massage techniques in order to enhance your baby’s physiological and psychological development and to deepen the parent-infant bond.

As well as learning the massage sequence, infant massage is about discovering how your newborn communicates their needs through body language (non-verbal communication), and learning how to interpret this in terms of whether they would like a massage or not. This forms part of the 'permission sequence' which is the very first part of the infant massage routine. It is also important for the parent or carer to ask their baby, 'would you like a massage now?' (verbal communication). The permission sequence is a 'learned response' and may take several weeks of regular, daily massage for your baby to recognise. Some regard the permission sequence as the most important part of the massage routine.

For further information on infant massage, please read about IDIBIDI KIDS™ Massage and refer to articles on Infant Massage and Touch Therapy. Idibidi Kids™ runs parent-child wellbeing courses and workshops designed to assist your babies health and development, focusing on specific massage strokes and techniques.

Benefits of infant massage...
Massage is much more than relaxation for your baby!
Other benefits of infant massage include:-

• Increases circulation
• Strengthens the immune system
• Improves sleep patterns / increases deep sleep
• Increases weight gain in pre-term/low birth weight infants
• Relieves congestion
• Encourages parent-infant interaction/bonding
• Increases body awareness
• Assists with reflux
• Relieves colic, constipation and wind
• Assists with post-natal depression
• Maintains flexibility through lymphatic exercises
• Effective therapy for many childhood conditions
• It is easy to learn and lots of fun!

Massage is essential touch for your baby’s body, mind and soul!

Infant Massage and Touch Therapy Articles

Below is a list of Infant Massage/Baby Massage/Children's Massage articles, research studies & reports, that I have read and may be of interest to you. (Please note - the links below will redirect you. To return to Idibidi Kids Massage, please click on the arrow to go back to last page, on the top LHS of your browser):

• Stimulation Programs for Pre-term Infants (2004)
20 page PDF, looks at the effects of massage for promoting the growth and development of pre-term babies
http://www.srcd.org/Documents/Publications/SPR/spr18-1.pdf

• Health Insite ~ Massage related articles on various topics
including baby massage
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Massage

• The Age "Massage Restless Baby to a Soothing Slumber" article (2006)
http://www.theage.com.au/

• PND and Mother and Infant Outcomes after Infant Massage (2008)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18086500

• "The Benefits of Massaging Babies" Lemise Kassim
8 page PDF research paper
http://www.massagereferences.com/

• BBC News, Online Health "Massage Beats Baby Blues" article (1999)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/health/

• Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, "Benefits of Infant Massage
for Mothers with Post Natal Depression" (2002)
Looks at the benefits of massage, trial studies, role of oxytocin and evaluations
http://www.careperinatologia.it/

• Better Health channel, Victoria, Australia
Link to various health websites
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/

• Pacific College of Oriental Medicine
Infant Massage and Its Many Benefits by Michelle Fletcher
http://www.pacificcollege.edu/

• Imperial College London Fetal and Neonatal Stress Research Group
Summarises various research in progress in the area of care for babies
http://www1.imperial.ac.uk/medicine/research/researchthemes/reprodscience/fetalstressgroup/

• Warwick UK report, University of Warwick (2006)
Abstract article "Research say massage may help infants sleep more, cry less and be less stressed"
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/

• Natural News.com
http://www.naturalnews.com/

• Journal of Affective Disorders PND and massage
http://www.jad-journal.com/

• Infant massage improves mother-infant interaction for mothers with postnatal depression (The Cochrane Library 2001)
http://www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane/clcentral/articles/588/CN-00354588/frame.html

• University of Miami – The Times UK article "The Hands on Mum" (2007)
http://www6.miami.edu/

• Massage Today article "Infant Massage - Everyone Benefits" (2003)
http://www.massagetoday.com/

• The Babys Website, article "Developmental Baby Massage Introduction"
http://www.thebabyswebsite.com/

• National Literary Trust UK
Research abstracts about baby massage, contains three links: Imperial College of London, UK; Touch Research Institute; University of Warwick
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/talktoyourbaby/babymassage_research.html

• TIME magazine – Touch Early and Often (2001)
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,139633,00.html

• Southcoast Today article: The Value of Touch
http://archive.southcoasttoday.com/daily/04-99/04-27-99/b01he040.htm

• The Age: article in Life & Style, "The Science of Touch"
http://www.theage.com.au/

• Toddler Time – The Healing Power of Touch
http://www.toddlertime.com/mh/terms/healing-touch.htm

• Tameside Advertiser UK – Massage Therapy for Stressed Kids
http://www.tamesideadvertiser.co.uk/

• Brisbane Times - A Hug A Day Keeps The Doctor Away (2007)
Effects and Benefits of touch, Massage and the elderly, Touch Deprivation & Infant Massage
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/

• Cherokee Health Massage (2006)
Massage calms kids with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) & Understanding ADHD, Massage for your teenager.
http://www.cherokeehealthmassage.com/

• Positive Health Online (2004) "Massage In Schools to Reduce Anxiety and Stress"
http://www.positivehealth.com/

Specific Infant Massage and Touch Therapy sites...

• Touch Research Institute Miami
http://www6.miami.edu/touch-research/

• Axelsons
http://www.axelsons.com/startpage.aspx?mid=3

• Peaceful Touch
http://www.peacefultouch.net/

Recommended reading, from the Idibidi Kids™ bookshelf...

Here are a few of my favourite books I have read, put on my bookshelf, then re-read (because I love to read, I love my book collection and I love to research... I have a thirst for knowledge)!
Want to know what other books interest Natalie and may be of interest to you too? Follow the Idibidi Kids™ BLOG page (September 2008) for more book listings, reviews and what Natalie is currently reading. Subjects of interest include health & wellbeing, philosophy, children's development, babies development, natural therapies, science and women's health.... and more! Natalie would love to hear from you if you have a book to recommend..... contact Natalie today!

• Loving Hands – The Traditional Art of Baby Massage, Leboyer,F. 1976, Newmarket Press, New York, U.S.A.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Touch, Field,T. 2001, The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, London, England.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• What's Going On In There? How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life, Eliot,L Ph.D. 1999, Bantam Books, New York, U.S.A

• The Science of Happiness - How Our Brains Make Us
  Happy-and What We Can Do to Get Happier, Klein,S Ph.D 2002,
  Marlowe & Company, New York, U.S.A.