Infant Massage: The Gentle Power of Loving Touch
by Corinne Peterson, CMT
Reprinted from BirthLink Community News, vol. 1, January 2000

....Infant massage has been slowly coming into the mainstream over the past 20 years. Vimala Schneider McClure, the mother of infant massage, began to develop this approach after working in an orphanage in northern India in 1973. While there, she observed how older children massaged the younger ones, and how families in the surrounding area massaged their babies. She was struck by this gentle way of caring for infants that had been part of the Indian culture for thousands of years. After returning to the United States, McClure practiced massage with her own baby. Using the Indian method and incorporating Swedish strokes into a curriculum she began teaching other parents.

....McClure trained others who then formed the International Assoc. of Infant Massage Instructors in 1981 (now known as the IAIM.) Since that time the organization has continued to grow, and now has chapters in 14 countries. The work of the IAIM has been bolstered by recent research conducted by Tiffany Field, of the Touch Research Institute. Many of us are familiar with the studies on premature infants which showed that babies who were massaged gained weight more quickly and were discharged earlier than those who did not receive massage.

....Research is confirming what parents who massage their babies have known all along. According to the IAIM, the benefits of infant massage include:

· Relieves gas, colic, improves digestion
· Deepens respiration
· Supports organization of the nervous system
· Improves muscle tone
· Helps the infant sleep deeper and longer
· Reduces stress and aids relaxation
· Speeds myelination of the brain and nervous system

....Perhaps the greatest benefit is the enhancement of the parent-child bond. Parents can learn infant massage by attending group classes (4 -5 sessions) or receiving private instruction in their home (3 sessions). Videos can reinforce what is learned in class. Another excellent resource is Infant Massage: A Handbook for Loving Parents, by Vimala Schneider McClure.

Corinne Peterson CMT provides support for the childbearing year through her work as an infant massage instructor, massage therapist specializing in prenatal/postpartum, a prenatal yoga instructor and as a birth doula. She also holds a masters degree in public health in the area of health education and promotion.