Massaged babies gained weight about 47 percent faster than those who weren't, and as a result, they could be discharged from the hospital an average of six days earlier than those who didn't get a daily rubdown. Loving communication Infant massage is not limited to use on premature infants, according to Dr. Karyl Bental, a pediatrician with PediatricCare, a division of Maxis Health System in Carbondale. Massage therapy involves loving touch and gently stroking various regions of the baby's body - the face, neck, head, shoulders, the back and extremities. Pediatricians and other health care professionals can teach parents the simple techniques of massage therapy. Quality time The growing interest in infant massage is partly due to changing lifestyles and a desire by parents to provide better care for their infants.
Daily massage provides quality time for both parents and infant.
Fathers may not get the time or have the opportunity to do their own nurturing. However, through infant massage, a father experiences a unique nurturing feeling. This interaction gives both the child and father a special time together. It can also be a great learning experience. The infant learns to relax and release tensions of daily stimuli.