Baby Massage: The Importance of Massage for Baby

Touch is known to be the first sense that an embryo develops when it is rocked or massaged inside the womb of mother. Once the baby comes out of the womb, it is given a soothing massage to help adapt to the new atmosphere. A loving touch can make the baby enjoy the warmth and feeling that people around loves him.


Baby massage is a common tradition in most of the Asian countries, especially in India, and Pakistan. There are many African countries that practice baby massage dedicatedly. In West Indies and India, baby massage is a daily practice.

In fact, in India, babies are massaged right after they are born. This is done by older ladies at home. The basic idea of massage is to develop a strong and caring link between parents and the baby. Researches and studies have proved that baby massage strengthens the process of bonding.

Touch is an important aspect for premature babies. This is because they require more care and love. Babies born by Cesarean section require massage as they are massaged via the birth canal. Fast-birth babies can be shocked due to the delivery speed.

Hence, they would require a massage. This facilitates physical and emotional growth of the child. It has been proved that regular massage will reduce health problems in children. Babies who are massaged regularly will sleep and are fed better than those who are not given any massage.

Here are some of the major benefits of baby massage:

Enhanced Digestive system

Baby massage is helpful in aiding digestion in babies. Reports have said that massage facilitates babies to suckle better. This leads to enhanced feeding pattern.

Regularly massaged babies will not suffer from frequent digestion related problems such as colic, diarrhea and constipation. A dedicated gentle abdomen massage will aid digestion system. This will make the baby grow healthy.

Calm Nervous system

A short massage can make your baby sleep well. This is a great answer for babies who can get cranky, irritable and frustrated. This will also reduce temper tantrums. If you want your nights to be stress free, give your baby a massage before sleep time. This will help the baby sleep longer.

Enhanced Immune system

Frequent massage will enhance the immune system in babies. These babies are more resistant to infections. Additionally, frequently massaged babies experience fewer health problems.

Strong Respiratory system

Some babies have their respiratory system full of mucus. Regular massage will reduce the frequency of respiratory problems such as colds, coughs, and nasal and ear infections.

Improved Skin

The skin texture and complexion of the child brightens with regular massage. This is because of enhanced blood circulation in the body due to massage. Waste products and toxins are eliminated from the body without any difficulty. The skin of the baby improves and offers a healthy look.

Musculo-skeletal system

Baby massage promotes flexibility of muscles and joints. This facilitates the baby to synchronize its muscular movements.

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