The Right Touch: SouthFlorida.com

Infant massage soothes baby -- and parents.

One of the best gifts you can give your baby is free, takes just 15 minutes a day and is available any time, right in the palm of your hand. It's the gift of massage. And it is as much of a gift to you and your partner as it is to the baby.

"Touch is the most calming of all the senses," said Terri Brevda, a nurse and perinatal educator at Memorial Healthcare System in Broward County. "It decreases stress hormones. When you have a relaxed baby, you have a baby that eats better and sleeps better. That makes for happier parents."

That's not just her opinion. University of Miami researcher Tiffany Field has spent more than two decades studying the effects of touch. Her studies have proven that daily massages improve infants' sleep and reduce their stress. In premature infants, the benefits are more dramatic. Preemies who were massaged daily from birth gained 47 percent more weight and spent six fewer days in the hospital than those who weren't.

"[Massaged infants] have significantly less irritability, significantly more organized sleep and take a shorter time to get to sleep," Field said.

New parents who practice infant massage avoid some of the stress that comes with having a new baby in the house, according to Field's research.

"Parents who massage their babies are less depressed and have less anxiety," she said.

Dads especially benefit from learning infant massage because it gives them an opportunity for close contact they often miss if mom is breast-feeding. One of Field's studies showed that fathers who had massaged their babies daily for a month were warmer and more responsive toward their babies during floor play than fathers who hadn't given massages.

"When I started 15 years ago, mostly moms wanted to learn," said Marie-Jos�e Berard, owner of the Infant Massage Institute in Tamarac. "In the last two years, moms and dads have been calling."

Berard is among a growing number of therapists in South Florida who teach infant massage.

"Parents might do this without a class," Berard said, "but often they don't know how much pressure to use."

Therapists also teach parents techniques that go beyond basic, calming massage. Brevda mentioned a specific stroke that helps ease baby's gas pains.

"Our instructor knows little pressure points to relieve tension," she said. "She teaches hand massage and arm massage."

If you can't wait to try massage on your baby, Berard and other therapists say go ahead. First, be sure baby is relaxed and not hungry or overtired. Choose a place that's quiet, warm and soft, such as a bed or folded blanket on the floor. Dim the lights to avoid irritating baby's eyes. Soft music also helps create a relaxing mood. Remove all baby's clothes or leave on just a diaper. Use oil so your hands will move smoothly over baby's skin. Most therapists recommend natural plant oils with little if any scent, such as almond or grapeseed oil.

"Baby needs to smell the parent," said Susan Novak, an infant-massage instructor and co-owner of the Birth Oasis prenatal center in Juno Beach.
If baby's skin is sensitive, try a synthetic, hypoallergenic oil such as Johnson's Baby Oil.

Different therapists also teach different techniques. Massage tips published by Johnson & Johnson suggest starting at the top of the head and working down to the arms and legs. NaturalBirthAndBabyCare.com recommends starting with legs and feet, and finishing at the head.

The bottom line is it really doesn't matter. What matters is baby's comfort.

"The baby is the boss," Novak said.

If baby starts frowning or crying, Novak explained, try rubbing a different area, or change your stroke. Babies like strokes that are long and firm, though not deep. Most dislike light caressing. If baby is still fussy, put off the massage until another time. She could be cold, tired or hungry.

You can learn more about infant massage from any of the dozens of guidebooks and DVDs including one by Field titled Infant Massage: The Power of Touch.

If you'd like formal training, a good place to start is Infant Massage USA's Web site,www.infantmassageusa.org. The national nonprofit trains people to teach parents infant massage. Novak and other local certified instructors are listed on the site, along with their contact information. Another likely source of classes is your nearest hospital or birthing center. Memorial Hospital offers a two-session class every month.

Everyone involved with infant massage gushes about the benefits. But after years spent studying infants, Field knows there's a drawback, too. She hears it all the time from parents who participated in her earlier studies. "Now their kids are teenagers," Field said with a laugh, "and they still want massages all the time."