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[[File:Babymassage.jpg|thumb|Infant massage]]
'''Infant massage''' is [[massage]] given to young [[infant]]s involving [[Haptic communication|tactile]] and [[kinesthetic]] stroke and rubbing stimulation as a [[therapy]] to enhance their cognitive and physical [[child development|development]]. Such contact is also found in other [[mammal]]s where [[mother]]'s provide tactile stimulation as part of their care through [[licking]], [[grooming]], and physical contact. Infant massage is widespread in traditional cultures. Research finds that massage enhances [[neural development]] and body growth both in [[rodent]]s and [[human]]s particularly in [[preterm]] infants.
'''Infant massage''' is a type of [[complementary and alternative medicine|complementary and alternative treatment]] that uses [[massage therapy]] for babies. Evidence is insufficient to support its use in either full term or preterm babies to achieve physical growth.<ref name=Cat2013/><ref name = Vickers/>
==BenefitsHistory==
[[Ayurvedic medicine]] in [[ History of India|ancient India]] taught the use of infant massage.<ref>Johari H. (1996). Ayurvedic Massage: Traditional Indian Techniques for Balancing Body and Mind. Inner Traditions Bear and Company. {{ISBN |978- 08928148930-89281-489-3}}</ref> It was also has been encouraged in [[China]] sinceduring the [[Qing dynasty]].<ref>Furth C. (1987). Concepts of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Infancy in Ch'ing Dynasty China. Journal of Asian Studies, 46:7-35. {{JSTOR|2056664}}</ref> At present it is part of traditional childcare in South Asia and elsewherelsewhere where daily massage by mothers is seen as "instilling fearlessness, hardening bone structure, enhancing movement and limb coordination, and increasing weight" .<ref> {{cite journal | last1 = Reissland | first1 = N , | last2 = Burghart | first2 = R .(1987). | title = The role of massage in south Asia: child health and development. Soc Sci| Med.journal = Social Science & Medicine | volume = 25 ( | issue = 3 | pages = 231–9 | year = 1987 | pmid = 3629298 | doi = 10.1016/0277-9536(87) :23190226- 9.PMID7 3629298}}</ref> SuchOther areas where infant massage oftenis involvesregularly theused useare ofAfrican oilscountries includeand areas in the former [[ mustardSoviet oilUnion]]. <ref>Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL,In KhatryWestern SKculture, Tielschinfant JM.massage (2005).has [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1317296/pdf/nihms5548.pdfbeen Traditionalincreasingly massageused ofin newborns[[neonatal inintensive Nepal:care implicationsunit]]s for trialspre-term ofinfants improvedwho practice.]are Jin Tropstressful Pediatr.environments 51(2):82-6.and PMIDhave 15677372limited [[Touch|tactile]] stimulation.< ref name="Vickers" / ref> ▼===Full term infants===
Full term infants receiving massage therapy show more weight, were greater length, less irritability and sleep disturbance.<ref> Field M, Hernandez-Reif M, Diego L, Feijo Y. Vera Y, Gil K. (1996). Massage therapy by parents improves early growth and development. Infant Behavior & Development 27: 435–442. {{doi|10.1016/j.infbeh.2004.03.004}}</ref> It also reduces [[crying]] and the regulation of stress hormones.<ref>Underdown A, Barlow J, Chung V, Stewart-Brown S. (2006). Massage intervention for promoting mental and physical health in infants aged under six months. Cochrane Database Syst Rev.18;(4):CD005038. PMID 17054233 </ref> Mothers with [[postnatal depression]] that massage their infants reduce their depression and improve the quality of their interactions with their infants.<ref>Onozawa K, Glover V, Adams D, Modi N, Kumar RC. (2001). Infant massage improves mother-infant interaction for mothers with postnatal depression. J Affect Disord. 63(1-3):201-7. PMID 11246096</ref>
==Research==
===Preterm infants===
[[Preterm]] newborns receiving massage gain more weight than those that do not in [[neonatal intensive-care unit]]s.<ref>Field T. (Ed.). (2004). Touch and massage in early child development. New Brunswick, NJ: Johnson and Johnson Pediatric Institute. ISBN 978-0931562303</ref> Others benefits include increased bone mineralization, bone density, bone length, and increased head circumference.<ref>Moyer-Mileur L, Luetkemeier M, Boomer L, Chan GM. (1995). Effect of physical activity on bone mineralization in premature infants. J Pediatr. 127(4):620-5.PMID 7562289</ref> They also show higher [[psycho-motor development]] and significantly higher Mental Development Index scores.<ref>Procianoy RS, Mendes EW, Silveira RC. (2010). Massage therapy improves neurodevelopment outcome at two years corrected age for very low birth weight infants. Early Hum Dev. PMID 20022717</ref> Such massage therapy seems to be more effective when it involves "moderate" pressure than "light" pressure.<ref>Field T, Diego MA, Hernandez-Reif M, Deeds O, Figuereido B. (2006). Moderate versus light pressure massage therapy leads to greater weight gain in preterm infants. Infant Behav Dev. 29(4):574-8. PMID 17138310</ref> Such infants also sleep better.<ref>Kelmanson IA, Adulas EI. (2006). Massage therapy and sleep behaviour in infants born with low birth weight.Complement Ther Clin Pract. 12(3):200-5. PMID 16835031</ref> The [[body temperature]] of preterm infants increases when given massage compared to controls "even though the incubator portholes remained open during the 15 min massage therapy session but not for the control group over an equivalent time period".<ref name="Diego">Diego MA, Field T, Hernandez-Reif M. (2008). [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2262938/pdf/nihms38569.pdf Temperature increases in preterm infants during massage therapy.] Infant Behav Dev. 31(1):149-52. PMID 17692385 </ref> This has been suggested to be due to better neurological regulation in neonates including motor and state self-regulation and increased circulation.<ref name="Diego"/>Massage to the leg reduces pain prior to heel stick [[venipuncture]].<ref>Jain S, Kumar P, McMillan DD. (2006). Prior leg massage decreases pain responses to heel stick in preterm babies. J Paediatr Child Health. 42(9):505-8. PMID 16925535</ref> Nondepressed mothers also show lower [[anxiety]] if they massage their preterm infants.<ref>Feijó L, Hernandez-Reif M, Field T, Burns W, Valley-Gray S, Simco E. (2006). Mothers' depressed mood and anxiety levels are reduced after massaging their preterm infants. Infant Behav Dev. Jul;29(3):476-80. PMID 17138300</ref> [[Length of stay|Length of stay in hospital]] and occurrence of late-onset [[sepsis]] is also reduced by mothers massaging their preterm infants.<ref>Mendes EW, Procianoy RS. (2008). Massage therapy reduces hospital stay and occurrence of late-onset sepsis in very preterm neonates. J Perinatol. 28(12):815-20. PMID 18633421</ref>
A 2013 [[Cochrane review]] of massage therapy for babies less than 6 months of age who were born at term found that the evidence was insufficient to support its use.<ref name=Cat2013>{{Cite journal|last1=Bennett|first1=Cathy|last2=Underdown|first2=Angela|last3=Barlow|first3=Jane|date=2013-04-30|title=Massage for promoting mental and physical health in typically developing infants under the age of six months|journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews|volume=2013 |issue=4|pages=CD005038|doi=10.1002/14651858.CD005038.pub3|issn=1469-493X|pmid=23633323|pmc=8078453}}</ref> A 2004 Cochrane review looking at massage therapy for pre-term and low birth weight was insufficient to justify its use.<ref name = Vickers>{{cite journal |vauthors=Vickers A, Ohlsson A, Lacy JB, Horsley A |title=Massage for promoting growth and development of preterm and/or low birth-weight infants |journal=Cochrane Database Syst Rev |issue=2 |pages=CD000390 |year=2004 |volume=2004 |pmid=15106151 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD000390.pub2 |editor1-last=Vickers |editor1-first=Andrew|pmc=6956667 }}</ref>
==Risks==
==Proposed mechanisms==
The use of certain oils in traditional societies such as mustard oil might effect newborn skin integrity and permeability.<ref>
Darmstadt GL, Mao-Qiang M, Chi E, Saha SK, Ziboh VA, Black RE, Santosham M, Elias PM. (2002). Impact of topical oils on the skin barrier: possible implications for neonatal health in developing countries. Acta Paediatr. 91(5):546-54. PMID 12113324</ref> Though other oils that are linoleate-enriched such as sunflower seed oil are safe and improve skin condition.<ref> Darmstadt GL, Badrawi N, Law PA, Ahmed S, Bashir M, Iskander I, Al Said D, El Kholy A, Husein MH, Alam A, Winch PJ, Gipson R, Santosham M. Topically applied sunflower seed oil prevents invasive bacterial infections in preterm infants in Egypt: a randomized, controlled clinical trial. (2004). Pediatr Infect Dis J. 23(8):719-25. PMID 15295221</ref>
Various mechanisms have been proposed as to suggest how massage therapy might benefit infants. For pre-term infants, it has been suggested that any weight gain may be due to improved metabolic efficiency or by reducing the adverse reaction of stress through decreasing stress behavior or stress hormones.<ref name=Vickers/> Other possible mechanisms include increased [[vagal]] activity and secretion of [[insulin]] and [[gastrin]] as well as improved parent-infant relationships.<ref name=Cat2013 />
==Mechanisms==
==Safety==
Infants show increased levels of [[insulin]] and [[IGF-1]] in their blood following massage therapy.<ref>Field T, Diego M, Hernandez-Reif M, Dieter JN, Kumar AM, Schanberg S, Kuhn C. (2008). [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2663361/pdf/nihms85763.pdf Insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 increased in preterm neonates following massage therapy.] J Dev Behav Pediatr. 29(6):463-6. PMID 18714203</ref> Raised levels of IGF-1 cause accelerated [[neural development]] as measured by [[electroencephalography]] activity and [[visual acuity]] in the [[visual cortex]] both in rodents and humans.<ref name="Guzzetta">Guzzetta A, Baldini S, Bancale A, Baroncelli L, Ciucci F, Ghirri P, Putignano E, Sale A, Viegi A, Berardi N, Boldrini A, Cioni G, Maffei L. (2009). [http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/reprint/29/18/6042 Massage accelerates brain development and the maturation of visual function.] Neurosci. 29(18):6042-51. PMID 19420271</ref> In the case of rodents [[antagonist]]s to IGF-1 blocks these positive effects of massage.<ref name="Guzzetta"/>
Reviews of the literature have found no significant risks for adverse events with massage theory with either full term or pre-term infants.<ref name=Cat2013 /><ref name=Vickers/> One study found that the use of certain oils in traditional societies such as [[mustard oil]] or [[olive oil]] might adversely affect pre-term newborn [[human skin|skin]] barrier function, while using other oils that are [[linoleate]]-enriched such as [[sunflower seed oil]] may improve the integrity and permeability of the skin.<ref name=Cat2013 /><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Mullany | first1 = LC | last2 = Darmstadt | first2 = GL | last3 = Khatry | first3 = SK | last4 = Tielsch | first4 = JM | title = Traditional Massage of Newborns in Nepal: Implications for Trials of Improved Practice | journal = Journal of Tropical Pediatrics | volume = 51 | issue = 2 | pages = 82–6 | year = 2005 | pmid = 15677372 | pmc = 1317296 | doi = 10.1093/tropej/fmh083 }}</ref>
Massage decreases right frontal EEG asymmetry in one-month-old infants of depressed mothers which could underlie reduced stress.<ref>Jones NA, Field T, Davalos M. (1998). Massage therapy attenuates right frontal EEG asymmetry in one-month-old infants. Infant Behavior and Development, 21: 527-530 {{doi|10.1016/S0163-6383(98)90025-X}}</ref> Enhanced growth might be due to lower energy expenditure in infants receiving massage therapy.<ref>Lahat S, Mimouni FB, Ashbel G, Dollberg S. (2007). [http://www.jacn.org/cgi/reprint/26/4/356 Energy expenditure in growing preterm infants receiving massage therapy.] J Am Coll Nutr. 26(4):356-9. PMID 17906188</ref>
==History==
▲[[Ayurvedic medicine]] in [[ancient India]] taught the use of infant massage.<ref>Johari H. (1996). Ayurvedic Massage: Traditional Indian Techniques for Balancing Body and Mind. Inner Traditions Bear and Company. ISBN 978-0892814893</ref> It was also has been encouraged [[China]] since the [[Qing dynasty]].<ref>Furth C. (1987). Concepts of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Infancy in Ch'ing Dynasty China. Journal of Asian Studies, 46:7-35. {{JSTOR|2056664}}</ref> At present it part of traditional childcare in South Asia and elsewher where daily massage by mothers is seen as "instilling fearlessness, hardening bone structure, enhancing movement and limb coordination, and increasing weight"<ref>Reissland N, Burghart R.(1987). The role of massage in south Asia: child health and development.Soc Sci Med. 25(3):231-9.PMID 3629298</ref> Such massage often involves the use of oils include [[mustard oil]].<ref>Mullany LC, Darmstadt GL, Khatry SK, Tielsch JM. (2005). [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1317296/pdf/nihms5548.pdf Traditional massage of newborns in Nepal: implications for trials of improved practice.] J Trop Pediatr. 51(2):82-6. PMID 15677372 </ref>
==See also==
*[[Babywearing]]
*[[Haptic communication]]
*[[Pediatric massage]]
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{Infants and their care}}
[[Category:Babycare]]
[[Category:Pediatrics]]
▲[[Category:Massage therapy]]
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