Mum’s touch is just as important as nutrition and sleep for babies and small children, according to Miami University’s Dr Field.
“Massages help babies to sleep early and reduces the probability of them awakening at night,” said consultant paediatrician Dr Zulkifli, who released the findings.
Studies showed that massaging a baby helps to stimulate their bone growth by 15%, also giving better motor growth. This then improve a baby’s muscles, balance and orientation – important factors when the baby learns to stand and walk.
Baby massages have also been stressed as important by Johnson & Johnson director, Stanford Guo.
“Apart from nutrition or mother milk, the touch from the mother has the most effective effect on the baby. A touch is a form of physical expression that indicates love and correct techniques are good for the babies physical and emotional development,” Stanford said.
Touch therapy helps premature babies to gain weight fast, improves the breathing of children with asthma and allows diabetic children to react positively to treatment, the studies also showed.
