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Infant Massage: The Importance of Touch

By: Pam Gingras, Pedro Mateus, Samantha Dickey, Trelani Milburn

What is an infant massage? What are the benefits? What kinds of techniques are used? Is there
any reason my infant should not receive a massage? Where is this service available? If you have
any of these questions, then keep reading. Here, we’ll explain everything you need to know if
you are considering a massage for your infant. Remember, there are classes available in your
area, and you can easily do these techniques yourself!

What Is An Infant Massage?


By: Samantha Dickey
An infant massage is using the benefit of What Are The Benefits?
massage, touching and stroking to help your By: Pam Gingras

child become more aware of themselves and There are many benefits to Infant massage
you, usually performed during 0 to 6 months for the baby and parent. These are most
old. The massage generally uses light beneficial during the early months of their
strokes and classic Swedish techniques. life. These include:
After educating yourself on the benefits and
• Relaxation- helps to reduce
risks of infant massage, you may find that it
is just right for you and your infant. irritability
• Bonding of parent and infant
Consulting an Expert • Aids in the relief of gassiness, colic
By: Pedro Mateus
Infant massage is a bonding experience • Can improve baby’s sleep patterns
between parents and their baby. It is
important to consult your paediatrician and •
your massage therapist about the type of
massage that you want to use for your baby,
and to recommend you to take a class on
infant massage. The infant massage
workshops offered teaches you how to give
a full body massage to your baby. The
instructor will demonstrate the massage
techniques and routines on a doll as you
follow along with your child. It is important
to know that there are many sources
available to you about infant massage such
as libraries, bookstores and the internet.
Helps with growth and development
1
Preparing the Infant
By: Trelani Milburn
Infants have a short attention span, so the
massage should be short, and repetitive.
Make sure the room is warm, and you have
a soft surface for the baby to lie on. Only a
mild oil or lotion is needed to reduce the
friction. Once the baby is relaxed, you can “Infant massage is a great way to enhance the parent-
begin. child interaction. It can have a significant impact on
health and their future.” Dr. Graham, past Director of
Parental Consent Canadian Institute of Child Health, Canada
By: Trelani Milburn
Getting parental consent is the same for
infant massage as it is when getting consent
for a minor. The parent/guardian is allowed
to be in the room at all times. Once a
practitioner has qualifications they are able
to teach the parent/guardian where they are
able to perform this technique themselves. Precautions & Contraindications
By: Samantha Dickey
Draping Precautions and contraindications are very
By: Trelani Milburn similar to any other massage. Although most
When draping an infant, remember that they are rare, they still need to be taken into
are more susceptible to colds and that you consideration. Some of these include:
must keep them warm. It is more effective if
you remove all articles of clothing including Circulatory like edema, hemophilia,
the diaper. If the room is slightly cold, you hematoma or high blood pressure.
can cover them with a blanket and continue Skin Disorders like blisters, boils, bruises,
with the massage. lesions, burns, rashes, inflammation or open
wounds.
Orthopedic conditions like amputations,
fractures or dislocations.

Johnson’s baby. The Importance of Touch brochure


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Abdominal conditions such as GI infection
or a hernia.
Any Inflammations Where is this service available in my area?

Minor precautions, where the massage


1. Serenity Birth Shop & Baby Studio 4. Trimesters
should be postponed include:
12 Commerce Park Drive, Barrie ON 11 Downs Avenue, Picton ON
Temporary precautions like high fever,
705-735-4302 (613) 476-1116
influenza, pertussis or awww.serenitybirthstudio.ca/
cold. www.trimesters.on.ca
Infant is tired
Infant is teething 2. Tranquility 5. Georgian Health and Wellness Center
has just eaten 34 Bibby Court, Barrie ON 1660 Golf Link Road, Midland
Restless ON
(705) 796-5997 (705) 549-9042
www.jamcnallrmt.ca/ www.georgianhealthandwellness.com

3. Whole Life Massage Therapy


30 Owen Street, Barrie ON
(705) 719-9339
What Are Some of The Techniques?
By: Pam Gingras
The techniques used are easy, and can be
done by the parent in their own home. Some
techniques that are used include:

- Smile: gently making your infant smile


with the upper lip, then the lower lip.

- Open book: With hands on the center of


the infant’s chest, gently push to the sides.

-Pitstop: Lift either arm and rub the armpit Johnson’s baby. The Importance of Touch brochure

-Walking: Along the stomach of the infant,


use your fingertips to walk across from left
to right.

-I Love You: On the stomach, make a


downward stroke on the left side. Then
make an upside down L going from left to
right. Next, make an upside down U going
from left to right.

-Rolling: rolling the legs and arms between


your hands.
Johnson’s baby. The Importance of Touch brochure
How do the parents usually find out about
infant massage?
I have found that a lot of health care
professionals are beginning to refer babies
for massage for various reasons - mostly
colic and gas. I've had referrals from
Naturopaths, Chiropractors, and
even Medical Doctors.

Interview with Jackie McNall, RMT


By: Samantha Dickey

Jackie McNall has been an RMT for 8 years, and works out of Tranquility, a clinic in Barrie,
Ontario and the Naturopathic Health Clinic in Cookstown, Ontario. She teaches infant
massage classes to parents and also offers individual sessions. Information can be read at her
website http://www.jmcnallrmt.ca. Here is a brief interview with Jackie about infant massage,
its benefits and why she does it.

Are parents surprised when they learn


What do you focus on in your clinic? about all the benefits?
I have focused on pregnancy massage, infant Most of the time parents are surprised to
massage and I am now also a Doula, which find out the benefits, shocked that it helps so
provides labour support. much with colic & teething. Most the time
parents turn to medicine. With my first son,
When did you become interested in infant
he was calm, almost never cried, I could
massage?
hand him to anyone, and he slept through
I first started massaging babies when I found
the
out a friend of mine was pregnant. I took
night before he was 6 weeks old.
the course offered at Trimesters, and began
reading a lot of books too. I really focused
Do you see a lot of parents bring in their
on it when I had my first son.
infants?

4
Most of the time parents will bring their infant before deciding what would be best
babies in for one session. I prefer to teach for them?
parents how to massage their babies rather Sometimes I will palpate the abdomen over
than doing it myself. It's all about the the clothes to see the hyper tonicity, or some
bonding experience. hip flexion bilat to see the expression on
their faces, looking for discomfort.
Any special techniques that you use for
your classes?
I have worked hard at my infant massage
classes, I have tried to make them fun and
informative. I incorporate songs, rhymes,
and fun techniques like "I love you," for the
abdomen, and "open book," across the chest
while singing Mary had a little lamb.

Interview Continued

Do parents bring in their infant regularly,


or do most take courses to learn how to Do you take any special precautions before
perform it themselves? the treatment is received?
Some parents will come in for a class Only obtaining verbal consent to treat and a
setting; it's more fun for them. Others want filled out case history form outlining all
a more private setting. I can also write a details. I also ask a lot of questions
receipt for private sessions as I am the one regarding labour for the mom and birth
doing the massage. In a class setting, I experience too. I also make sure that the
cannot write a receipt for them. parent has signed the case history form.
Are the costs the same as a regular And the parents see results?
massage? Parents will see the results for sure. Most of
I usually charge around $25 for a 20 minute the time babies will let out gas during
massage, or $20 for a 15 minute massage. abdominal massage, or sometimes have
The treatment time is definitely decreased poops during it. They almost always sleep
for infants as not to over-stimulate them. longer than usual after too. The bonding
experience is amazing, massaged babies are
Do you perform any special tests on the said to be calmer, more relaxed. My son
popped out 2 teeth before I even knew he
was teething!
What are the overall infant reasons?
Almost all of them love it! But, truthfully,
some hate it, mostly the ones who have a lot
of gas. When they see their parents
swishing the oil in their hands, they coo and
smile. A lot of them will relax completely
during their massage and just gaze into their
parent’s eyes.

References

Cohen, S. S. (1987). Medical Considerations with Infant Massage. In The Magic of Touch:
Revolutionary ways to use your most powerful sense (pp. 23-24). New York: Harper and Row
Publishing.
Elaine Weisberg, R. D. (1998). What is Infant Massage? Retrieved February 2009, from Child
Birth: http://www.childbirth.org/articles/baby/infantmassage.html
Jill Vyse, J. H. (2009). Retrieved February 2009, from Infant Massage in Canada:
http://www.infantmassage.ca/

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