Touch me, I'm yours: the benefits of infant massage. (Parenting).

There is, no substitute for a parent's loving touch--mothers instinctively stroking their newborns, awakening their senses; fathers gently caressing their babies, nurturing the bond begun at birth.

"Babies love to be touched," says massage therapist and lactation consultant Gail Levy, RN. "It's a primal need." Through touch, babies first learn the comfort and security of loving and of being loved.

Infant massage has been practiced for centuries in virtually every native culture, from the bushmen of the Kalahari to the Indians of South America. Only the West has been slow to recognize its benefits. "There is a lot of fear around touching in our society," says Levy, blaming news reports of child abuse and massage's association with erotica. "Massage speaks to a culture that has disempowered parents from touching their children."

That culture may be changing. Numerous studies have found that massage plays a significant role in promoting the proper growth and healthy development of infants, according to the University of Miami School of Medicine's Touch Research Institute. Physically, massage stimulates the nerves, increases blood flow and strengthens the immune system. It can relieve a host of childhood complaints from colic to constipation. A daily rubdown on a baby's belly, for example, helps work out gas and regulates digestion. Massaging the chest may ease congestion. Gently stroking an infant's face can improve her ability to suck.

For premature infants or those with health problems, a regular routine of cuddling and caressing is especially helpful. In a landmark 1986 study by the Touch Research Institute, premature infants who were massaged three times a day for two weeks gained nearly 50 percent more weight and were more active and alert than equally frail babies who weren't massaged.

Similar studies with abused or neglected infants found that those who were massaged daily were less stressed, easier to soothe and more sociable than babies deprived of a regular rubdown. The elderly volunteers who massaged them also felt calmer and better about themselves.

"Massage benefits the massager as much as it does the massagee," says Tiffany Field, Ph.D. director and founder of the Touch Research Institute. "It's good for everyone."

From Womb to World

Most of all, massage is good for bonding. Parents with a strong connection to their newborns are less likely to become frustrated and lash out at a baby for crying or fussing. "It has a huge impact on reducing child abuse," says certified newborn massage therapist Katherine Young, RN. "Even if she has no knowledge of nurturing, a mother who sees her infant respond in a cooing and pleasurable way to massage feels more confident in her skills as a parent."

This is especially important for mothers who are prone to depression and for teen-age moms. Bonding doesn't come naturally to all parents. Young explains, "Many young mothers don't get time in the hospital to learn the process of nurturing. They're going through their own discomfort. They may have to get back to work, back into a size six. Society puts a lot of pressure on these women."

If mother or baby is anesthetized during delivery, or if a newborn is separated from his parents after a Cesarean, bonding may be delayed. Bright lights, noise and the turbulence of the birth itself can also make the transition from womb to world stressful. "Having a way to reduce the stress for both mother and baby is imperative," says Young. "When a newborn is calm, the whole household is calm."

Connecting with a newborn in an intimate and meaningful way also paves the way for an easier separation if the mother returns to work. "It becomes an oasis in the day-a time for physical closeness and communication," says Young.

Make Room for Daddy

Babies and their dads benefit from massage, too. Massage not only seals a father's connection to his newborn. It also helps men connect with their nurturing side. Not surprisingly, fathers who regularly massage their infants are more responsive, warm and sensitive to their babies.

Shut out from the intimacy of breastfeeding, some fathers aren't sure how to handle a newborn, says Karen Wright, a certified infant massage instructor who has led fathers-only infant massage classes. "At that age, the babies are too small for fathers to do the typical `dad' things-like tickling and tossing them in the air," Wright says. "Massage gives them something interactive they can do. It's a wonderful way for them to bond."

Resources

Video

Infant Massage: A Gift of Love, 2000. Certified massage therapist Cheryl Bronman teaches a practical and enjoyable massage for infants and even older children.

Infant Massage: The Power of Touch, 1995. Step-by-step lesson in baby massage techniques, including customized strokes and a question/answer segment with a registered nurse and childbirth instructor.

Books

Auchett, Amelia D. 1989. Baby Massage: Parent-Child Bonding Through Touch. Harper Collins. Explores the benefits of infant massage to baby and caregiver, and includes a complete how-to section with pictures and illustrations.

Walker, Peter. 1996. Baby Massage: A Practical Guide to Massage and Movement for Babies and Infants. St. Martin's. Provides easy-to-learn massage routines with detailed illustrations and photographs. Check the section on common childhood ailments and how they can be alleviated with touch.

McClure, Virmala Schneider. 2000. Infant Massage: A Handbook for Loving Parents. Bantam Doubleday. Illustrates each step of the process and offers specific instructions for premature infants and babies with special needs.

Heifer, Sharon. 1997. The Vital Touch: How Intimate Contact with Your Baby Leads to Happier, Healthier Development. Henry Holt. Highlights the power of closeness and shows parents how to share more of it.

Organizations

American Massage Therapy Association, 820 Davis St. Evanston, IL 60201-4444; [phone]; www.AMTAmassage.org.

International Association of Infant Massage, 1891 Goodyear Ave. Ste. 622, Ventura, CA 93003; [phone]; www.isimus.com.

Touch Research Institute. University of Miami School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, P.O. Box 016820 (D-820), 1601 N.W. 12th Ave., Miami, FL 33101; [phone]: www.miami. edu/touch-research/.

--Sheila Koty Globus is a freelance writer and mother of three.

--Reprinted with permission from United Parenting Publications, July 2001.