Baby massage is a practice that is particularly beneficial for the general development of the child. Baby massage refers to a set of manual techniques performed on the baby in order to provide a whole range of benefits. Thus, it promotes attachment and non-verbal communication between child and adult, soothes baby’s crying, stimulates the nervous, respiratory, digestive and immune systems and helps relieve small common ailments (gas, colic, congestion, etc.).

This approach also acts on the development of the child’s personality and could have an impact on his interpersonal relationships and his health.

The main principles

According to some specialists, baby massage is an instinctive gesture that creates a special bond between parent and baby. Over time, this gesture has no longer become systematic, which is unfortunate given that touch is a means of communication that promotes the release of the attachment hormone: oxytocin.

In her famous book Skin and Touch, anthropologist Ashley Montagu recalls the importance of touch. He reports that at the start of the 60th century, XNUMX% of babies born in American orphanages died from lack of contact. Thus, massage is particularly recommended when the infant is separated from its mother at birth due to medical complications or other events, for example, in cases of premature birth, cesarean section, postnatal depression, adoption, etc.

The benefits of massage for babies are manifested both from a physical and psychological point of view. Indeed, the results obtained during clinical trials indicate that massage can:

Contribute to the well-being of babies of depressed mothers

In a clinical trial, 40 babies aged 1 month to 3 months were randomly assigned to 15-minute massage or rocking sessions, twice a week for 2 weeks. The children in the massage group gained more weight and demonstrated a calmer temperament and better emotional and social dispositions. They were also found to be less stressed, cried less and fell asleep more easily.

Improving mother-child interaction in mothers with postpartum depression

In a trial published in 2001, 25 mothers with postpartum depression were separated into 2 groups. The former participated in group baby massage sessions for 1 hour per week for 5 weeks, in addition to receiving psychological support and practical advice. The second received only support and advice. We observed, only for the massage group, improvements in all dimensions of the interaction between mother and child and in mother’s mood. However, a quarter of the participants dropped out of the study in the process, suggesting that this approach may not be easily adopted by the population.

Promote sleep in newborns

During one trial, 21 babies aged 6 weeks were randomly assigned to a group receiving a daily massage half an hour before nighttime rest or to a control group (simple spontaneous touch of the mother). The results indicate that massage therapy can help adjust daily sleep-wake rhythms, thereby facilitating the initiation of nighttime sleep. In addition, following measurements of the metabolites contained in the urine of babies, the authors conclude that massage helps increase the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.

Improve the growth of children born prematurely

Various positive effects of massage in premature newborns are reported in the scientific literature. For example, it could influence weight gain, decrease stress and promote, among other things, performance in developmental tasks, brain development and visual function, bone formation when combined with physical activity, reduce hospitalization time and decrease pain during certain care procedures. However, most of these findings are based on clinical trials involving small sample sizes and suffering from methodological flaws. This is why it is not possible for the moment to pronounce with certainty on its effectiveness. In addition, caution is required, because the fragility of the premature child requires that we intervene with great care.

Massage consists of exerting pressure on the different parts of the baby’s body using vegetable oil. It must imperatively take place smoothly and at the right time. The ideal time to start massaging your baby is between 2 months and 8 months, just before he starts crawling and exploring his surroundings. Initially, you establish a daily routine of 10 minutes which can then progress to 20 to 30 minutes. Before the massage, a clean cloth should be placed on a flat surface to place the baby on it.

Here are some practical exercises you can do on your baby, under the guidance of a healthcare professional:

Face massage

The baby stands on his back and is placed on your lap. Using the pads of your thumbs, very gently draw lines from the middle of the forehead to the baby’s ears. Next, draw lines from the nose to the baby’s ears, then from the center of the chin to the outside of the face. Repeat each trace 4 times in a row at a very slow pace.

Skull massage

Using the pulp of the thumbs, apply very light and very gentle pressure on the base of the skull, taking care not to press on the fontanelles.

Massage the soles of the feet and palms of the hands

The feet and hands contain many nerve endings, which is why it causes a very pleasant feeling for the baby. Use the pads of your thumbs to gently massage the baby’s palms and soles in a circular motion.

Massage of the dos

Place the baby on his tummy and gently slide your right hand from the baby’s left shoulder to his right buttock. At the same time, do the same for the other side by placing your left hand on his left shoulder, and sliding it up to his left buttock. You can also relax her trapezius muscles with gentle circular massages on the shoulders.

If you would like to get into baby massage more deeply, you can contact an instructor through the International Baby Massage Association. Training for parents is offered in private and in groups and usually consists of 5 sessions of 90 minutes.

Contraindications of baby massage

It is contraindicated to give a massage to a sick, feverish or tired baby, immediately after a meal, after surgery and on skin lesions.

A good number of health and natural medicine professionals integrate baby massage as part of their practice. This is the case of certain occupational therapists, nurses, interveners in bodily approaches, doctors, massage therapists, reflexologists, yoga teachers, midwives …

Become a practitioner

IAIM is the only organization to offer an International Baby Massage Instructor Certificate. It has instructors in several countries around the world including South Africa, Germany, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Spain, France, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. By 1999, more than 15 instructors had received training in the United States.

Classes, individual or group, allow certified instructors to teach and give briefings and lectures. The training is also aimed at educators as well as health care professionals.

Baby and child massage is inspired by Indian massage, Swedish massage, reflexology and yoga. For millennia, baby massage has been a part of everyday life in many civilizations. This ancestral practice, passed down from mother to daughter until today, is gradually establishing itself in our culture, among others, thanks to the American Vimala Schneider McClure who introduced it to the United States in the early 1980s. It was in 1973 that she was introduced to baby massage while working in Indian orphanages. Applying her knowledge to her own children, she was surprised at the results. So she decided to study child development and the effects of massage on newborns. Over the course of her discoveries and experiments, she created her own method by integrating movements borrowed from different massage techniques.

In 1977, she wrote a book on baby massage and began to teach it. She founded in 1981, with a group of 7 instructors, the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM) in order to transmit her practice. In 1986, the association was officially recognized in the United States as a non-profit organization. IAIM is the only international organization providing training in baby massage. It has several national sections which take care to promote and teach massage, and to support, value and accompany parents who seek another form of communication with their baby. Since 1992 the head office has moved to Sweden.