Benefits of Baby Massage

One of the most important part of baby-care routine is giving them a body massage. While in India, it has been an age-old ritual to call ‘daayi’ - an elderly lady who is an expert in the matters of childbirth and child care, to give daily massages to a newborn (in some places, even to the mother who requires special care post-delivery). It is believed that these early massages have a huge impact on the child’s growth and development. And so is proven scientifically too.

Here are some of the benefits of baby massage, and why you should never ignore this aspect of child rearing:

- Not necessarily an oil massage, the gentle rhythmic strokes on your little one’s back when he is restless for some reason can easily soothe him, unless the reason is hunger or some serious ailment.

- Body massage is a relaxing experience, for babies and adults alike, as it stimulates the production of oxytocin- the feel good hormone.

- There have been studies that suggest that baby massage in the initial days of his birth can accelerate recovery of the baby from jaundice faster. Jaundice is extremely common among newborn babies.

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- When a baby is given massage, this works in stimulating their central nervous system, and also helps in keeping the heart rate normal. It is therefore crucial for the premature babies to be given regular and proper messages.

- Oil massage helps in stimulating a nerve called Vagus nerve. This nerve connects the stomach (some other parts of the body) to the brain. It is therefore beneficial to stimulate this nerve which can help keep baby’s digestion and bowel movement right. This helps in early weight gain in infants.

- Regular baby massages keep the baby relaxed in general, and so they cry and fuss little and remain more active than those who are bereft of this soothing touch.

- Bedtime massage can help you put your baby to sleep easily. As your gentle strokes will relax his muscles the baby will after the day’s play will most likely will take to a deep slumber.

- Baby messages are not only for the good of the baby, it is also known to help mothers who may be at a risk of postnatal depression. Massaging the baby is a way of expressing one’s affection and it helps in the secretion of happy hormones in the mother as well.

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- Giving a baby massage can turn out to be a relaxing way to bond with him for the father as well. The effect is similar as for the mother. So, a bedtime massage given to the baby can in turn ease the tension from the father’s frame as well.

So, for the well-being of your little one and as a measure of developing early interaction sans any words, consider baby massage as your best bet.