Do not accept membership of another professional massage therapist organisation as proof of this. While many IMIS members are also members of these other organisations, these organisations do not provide them with information on infant massage techniques and research. Infant Massage Instructors do not fall under this category, as they are not certified in massaging the infants themselves, but only in instructing parents and carers to do so. IMIS will not certify a therapist to massage infants, as we believe this to be inappropriate in most circumstances. Massage for infants and children needs to come from the parents or a close carer of the child with whom they are comfortable.
Massage is an intimate form of touch.
It is the belief of IMIS that allowing a stranger to massage a child who is practically naked does not relay a good lesson to the infant. We want infants to learn that it is not ok for strangers to touch them in such an intimate way. To attain whether an individual is qualified to teach infant massage request to see their Instructor Certificate and a current Certificate of Professional IMIS Membership. Alternatively, contact IMIS directly and IMIS staff will provide you with this information.