Benefits of Newborn Baby Massage

Massage for baby is a great way to strengthen the child's body, as well as to prevent and treat various diseases. But what are the benefits of newborn baby massage and how to perform it properly, so as not to harm a baby?


Benefits of newborn baby massage

An infant’s skin is very susceptible to various influences, so the first few months of baby's life are the best time for massage.

Baby massage helps to speed up his mental and physical development. Such procedures have a tonic influence on the baby’s body. Massage helps the musculoskeletal system strengthen, to stimulate bone growth, to increase metabolism, helps muscle tone to get aligned, work of the heart to become regulated and to activate blood circulation.

Regular massage helps to prevent and treat such diseases as rickets, constipation, flatulence. Due to massage some parts of skin are being irritated affecting certain internal organs. Infant massage promotes the renewal of the epidermis and improves thermoregulation of the body.

Newborn baby massage is also extremely useful for babies born prematurely, and it is one of the most important stages of their rehabilitation. Massage helps muscle tone and emotional state of such babies to quickly normalize, babies quickly begin to respond to the surrounding objects and to smile at their mom.

Therapeutic massage for newborn babies

There are preventive and therapeutic kinds of massage. If preventive massage is for all infants without exception, so, therapeutic one must be prescribed by a doctor with a precise indication of baby’s disease and the desired effect from massage. Therapeutic massage must be performed by a professional massage therapist only.

Therapeutic massage for babies helps to treat the diseases of the central nervous system, muscle tone asymmetry of the whole body and the limbs, congenital torticollis, congenital dislocation of joints, hip joints dysplasia, clubfoot, umbilical hernia, planovalgus foot deformity, knock knees and bowed legs.

Newborn baby massage tips

For massage to be effective and to be not only useful but also pleasant for your baby, you need to follow some rules:

• the baby should be naked;
• hand massage should be performed from a wrist to the shoulder, foot massage - from a foot to the thigh;
• the baby should lie on a solid and horizontal surface;
• the room temperature should be no lower than 22 degrees C;
• while massaging, do not touch damaged skin, lymph nodes, genitals;
• is important to use a special baby cream (not Vaseline or talcum powder);
• masseur’s hands must be clean and warm. It is important that there were no long nails and decorations on the hands;
• while performing massage you must talk gently to your baby for him to enjoy massage.

Contraindications of massage for infants

There are cases when massage should not be performed.

Massage is not recommended when:

• baby has fever;
• baby has acute stages of a chronic disease;
• sensitivity of skin is increased;
• there are various lesions on baby’s skin;
• blood vessels and bones are fragile;
• baby has hernia with tendency for pinching.

If you suspected such diseases in your baby, consult a doctor and learn diagnosis before performing massage for your baby.

Temporary contraindication for massage can be a negative reaction of your baby.

It is important that you not be afraid to do something wrong. Newborn baby massage can be performed at home by almost any mom.

 

Good luck to you and to your baby!