Why You Should Massage Your Children

What would life be like if at birth, after first glance and feel of the world outside your warm softness called the womb, you got a full body massage? Every little part of you touched and soothed by the external world you are thrushed into. Imagine the coping skills you would learn and experience right form the get go on how to react to external stressors. Birth is one of the most stressful events in a human’s life. So stressful your body shuts down conscious memory of it.

Massage for your infant’s toddlers and children offers you and your family the following. Physically, massage:

1. Improves the quality of sleep of the child and ability to stay asleep by calming the body and creating a relaxing response to the tissue and organs.

2. Tones the digestive system by increasing blood flow to digestive tissue (Blood delivers oxygen, nutrients and water). The stroking movements from massage on your child assists in expelling of gas and fecal matter, in turn, decreasing fussiness and colic.

3. Improves the immune function of your child (Immune system illuminates possible parasites, viruses and bacteria from the body). Studies show there is a direct link between immune function and stress.

4. Relaxes muscle tension- Basic physics 101: Pressure releases Pressure.

5. Strengthens the nervous system of the child and aids in neurological development.

6. Teaches body awareness and muscle function. Massage acts like a translator, assisting communication between the body tissue and brain impulse responses of your child.

7. Entrains a relaxation response on a cellular level. Allows the child’s body to practice use of the rest and digest response of the nervous system.

8. In a study done by Tiffany Fields M.D. of the Touch Institute, they found premature infants that were massaged gained 74% more body weight than infants not massaged even though their caloric intake was the same.

9. Gentle exercises and long massage stokes encourage development of flexibility and coordination for your child.

10. Massaging infants, toddlers and children has shown to decrease sick visits to the doctor.

Mentally and Emotionally, massage:

1. Strengthens bonding between the child and caregiver (we hope bonding occurs in infancy but due to certain factors such as pre-maturity, medical issues, fostering, etc. we find bonding can be delayed even into adulthood.

2. Establishes close loving communication which provides security and stability for your child, in turn, decreasing worry and anxiety.

3. Studies show massage is as nurturing for the caregiver as for the child. Massaging started in infancy can nurture and strengthen the whole family unit.

4. Allows opportunity for caregivers to understand and communicate with their children at all stages of development. This installs confidence as a caregiver.

5. Teaches personal body and energetic awareness. Teaches at a young age the difference between positive and negative interactions through touch.

Giving these positive factors, massage can improve a person’s experience of life by 100%. Light and blessings to you and your family.

This article was written by Tiffany Kuehn LMT, as a patient education resource for The Center For True Harmony Wellness and Medicine. Edited and revised by Sherry VanGoethem, Dr.Christine Brass-Jones OBGYN, and Dr. Denise Quance Grobe N.D. If you have any questions or comments contact the office at (480) 539-6646 or through email at info@trueharmonywellness.com