What Are The Benefits Of Massaging The Newborn

Most of us as mothers very clearly understand the benefits of massaging our newborn and babies till the age of 3 years. Pediatricians are of the opinion that every mother should arrange to massage the baby regularly; massaging not only helps build healthy, active and alert babies, but also helps build strong and healthy bones.

Massaging a baby with a good quality oil like vegetable oil, coconut oil, olive oil or almond oil also helps to induce good sleep in babies, in addition to improving the blood circulation and making the body flexible. It is also true that massaging helps build a strong bond between the parents and baby to make the baby feel loved and secure.

Some more of the benefits of massages:

Research has shown that those babies that receive massage cry much less than babies who do not.

Massages not only produce good and sound sleep but also help regulate sleep patterns with increase in serotonin levels that regulates melatonin secretion rhythms.

Massages pre-term babies help them gain weight faster; this can be attributed to the touch therapy.

Massage improves wind, colic, reflux and constipation by stimulating elimination of waste from the body; it can relieve abdominal wind within minutes and also speed a natural process of the nervous system which can assist with reflux.

It is significant to note that massage aids in adequate drainage of the sinuses and excess mucus from the chest, thereby relieving sinus and chest congestion.

Massage is invaluable for physiological processes and boosts the immune system.

The left/right brain communication of an infant can be improved by massages; this is suggestive of improved intelligence.

Touch plays a key role in human bonding, with a daily baby massage proving to be one of the best tools that help in maintaining and strengthening the affectionate bond between the parent and baby. Massages give parents a chance to get intimate with the baby’s body language, the way her body looks and feels, and familiarize oneself with his/her response to stimuli.

Parents that massage their babies regularly are able to diagnose potential health issues early; they could notice changes in their baby’s physical condition during a regular massage and get the ailment diagnosed and treated in time by the doctor.

Studies have shown significant improvement in eczema symptoms when babies are given regular massages.

Massages reduce stress hormone levels in children and their parents; this helps improve immunity, promote cognitive performance and increase and maintain bone density and muscle tissue. It also helps to normalize blood pressure, heart rate, digestive functioning and hormonal levels.

Learning massaging from massage classes increased the parent’s confidence, decreased stress and made them feel closer to the infant.  

Finally massaging increased the dopamine levels that helped to regulate anger, aggression, temperature, mood and appetite.

Don’t forget to massage your newborn till he/she is 3 years to get a bag full of benefits.