Across cultural barriers and through the generations massage has remained one of life’s simple pleasures. While adults enjoy massage to keep them relaxed, balanced, happy and healthy, infants can enjoy it as a way to connect with their parents – without even saying a word.

Gaining worldwide popularity, infant massage is traditional practice in some cultures. But now, thanks to scientific research, more parents are learning that an extra dose of cuddling and rubbing can communicate their love and strength to their babies.

“When a mother holds her baby, she transfers the energy of love and affection to her baby. This energy is essential for emotional growth,” certified infant massage instructor Rina Poerwadi said.

“Our hands are very expressive; they communicate love and anger. Touch is a child’s first language. It is through our hands that we speak to a child,” she added.

According to Rina, the owner of the Touch and Bond Infant Massage Center in Jakarta, several studies conducted since the 1970s have revealed massage helps improve a baby’s health.

Massage can help improve an infants sleeping pattern, relieve discomfort, as well as aid the development of growth and nervous systems. Research has also shown that massage helps increase blood circulation and strengthens immune systems in infants.   

The secretion of digestive hormones, for example, can be improved by massaging, and this helps babies grow. Babies who receive extra touch also become more organized, research has shown. They sleep better at night, fuss less during the day and interact better.

But above all other health advantages, Rina says infant massage has one essential benefit: increased emotional bonding between the parents and their baby.

“Massage can help break down barriers so that the baby begins to enjoy being touched and the parents get used to touching their baby.”  

She said everything involved in the massage ritual -- eye contact, little chats and tender strokes –enhances emotional bonding.

“By nature, we smile as we make eye contact with our baby. Eye contact allows the baby to know our loving expression.”

“And as we touch, talk and sing to the baby, he or she will feel comfortable and secure. This will boost the baby’s confidence,” Rina said.

Because massage is skin-to-skin connection, she added, it also helps parents better read their baby’ body language and will increase their confidence to nurturing their children as they grow.

“Going through the baby’s body parts, parents can get clues which areas of the body are most sensitive and which need relaxing.”

Rina said the ritual must

begin with massaging the baby’s legs -- the body’s most touched

area.

Starting from the area will not shock the baby and will symbolize the parents’ intention to continue the ritual.

“The baby will send signals whether the ritual should be continued or not. Moving his or her legs around means the baby is not comfortable with it, so the parents should stop doing it.”   

“As parents become more receptive to nonverbal cues signaled by their baby, they will understand what the baby really wants. This will create some comfort and later contribute to the emotional bonding,” Rina said.  

The concept of emotional bonding is what attracted young mother Agnes Kiki Munro to learn how to massage to her baby.

“Nothing attracts me more than having a strong emotional relationship with my baby,” she said. Her son Kian David Munro is 21 months old.

Agnes acknowledges that baby massage has been a tradition in Indonesia. However, she said most mothers in the country still prefer to keep their hands off of the activity and leave the job to skilled massagers.

“Those massagers sometimes can’t understand what our baby really wants. They keep massaging even though the baby cries and seems like it doesn’t want to be touched,” Agnes, who joined Rina’s baby massage class when her son was 3-month-old, said.

According to Rina, infant massage is about intimacy, so it should be done by the parents or those who are close to them.  

“Going beyond that, massage actually introduces the concept of ‘saying no to strangers’ to the baby,” Rina said.     

Without strangers, parents will also become more independent in taking care of their babies, during illness for example.

By mastering certain massage techniques, Rina said, parents will learn how to better detect and response to their babies’ illness.

“Usually, parents leave their sick babies to doctors. Imagine if they could protect and help their babies by themselves. That must be a pleasure for them,” Rina said, adding, “Overall, the rewards return to us, the parents, emotionally.”

Agnes says she has been suitably rewarded by her experience with infant massage.

“I never panic when my son gets sick. I always try my best not to take my baby to the doctor to get some pills prescribed.”

“I just massage my son using

certain variants of baby oil and light an aromatherapy oil burner. My son usually gets better on the next day,”

Agnes said.

As her son recovered form his illness, Kiki said she felt the same way, as she knows she can be the shoulder for her baby to cry on.

“I feel more relaxed, knowing that my baby trusts his parents more than anybody else,” she said. 

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