Why Baby Massage is Important
June 30th, 2011
If you’ve recently experienced the joy of having a newborn child, there will undoubtedly be a lot of ideas running through your head as to how to minimise the stress and pain your child experiences in their first few months of life. One of the most effective techniques for improving the health of your child is baby massage. In fact, learning how to use baby massage oils and techniques on your infant can have amazing benefits, such as promoting better sleep, reducing crying, and strengthening the bond between parent and child. In this article, we’ll look at 10 reasons why baby massage is an important technique for parents to learn.
- It promotes deep and restful sleep
Baby massage works to improve the levels of serotonin in the infant’s body. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood. Having high serotonin levels helps create a sense of wellbeing, which is crucial in promoting healthy sleep patterns. - It aids the release of trapped wind
The severe pain in the abdomen which is often caused by intestinal gas is known as colic, and it is very common in infants. Baby massage has been proven to release colic by speeding up the elimination of waste. - It helps relieve digestive problems
By speeding up the nervous system’s natural progression, baby massage can help with the common and discomforting problems of reflux and constipation. - It decreases stress and, thus, crying
There could be any number of reasons for a baby to cry; they could be hungry, cold, uncomfortable or simply bored. However, often crying is also a result of tiredness, pain and other physical stresses. As we’ve mentioned, baby massage helps relieve colic pain and also aids sleep, meaning crying time is bound to be reduced. - It helps relieves congestion
Massage doesn’t only work to speed up the nervous system and elimination of waste, but it also can also help increase drainage of the sinuses, which prevents your infant from becoming congested. - It increases weight in low-birth-weight infants
If your infant was born prematurely and is experiencing lower than normal birth weight, baby massage has been shown to help in bringing about faster weight gain and a quicker return to healthy weight. - It strengthens the immune system
Just like many of the other physiological processes that it can improve, the immune system has been proven to receive a significant boost as a result of baby massage . - It enhances motor development
By stimulating the nervous system, infants will become more aware of their bodies when baby massage is employed. This helps to enhance coordination, flexibility and muscle control. - It strengthens the bond between baby and parent
Parents and other caregivers have reported that they feel closer to their infant after performing baby massage. Additionally, the reduction in stress levels in the infant leads to an easier time for the parent; these decreased stress levels are also important in strengthening the bond. - It helps relieve postnatal depression
Around one in six women will experience postnatal depression. Studies have shown that baby massage in combination with counselling sessions has led to significant improvements in the condition of mothers experiencing this condition.