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Premature babies are exposed to numerous stresses in intensive care nurseries, including loud noises, bright lights, blood drawing, and invasive procedures. Stress can have negative effect on these babies' immune systems. Massage therapy can be beneficial because it lowers stress and improves their immune system.

Prior to birth, babies are exposed to physical stimulation in their mother's wombs. Massage is a form of stimulation that promotes growth and development in premature babies.

Also, premature and low birth weight babies are often placed in incubators, open beds, attached to numerous monitors that interfere with them being touch as often as full term babies.

The University of Miami's Touch Research Institute has reported for over twenty years the benefits associated with infant massages. It increases the baby's resistance to infection by stimulating the immune system. Also, massaged babies experience an accelerated weight gain.

Massage also raises oxytocin levels, a hormone that possess pain relieving abilities and a calming effect.

A review of 14 randomized research studies involving premature and or low birth weight babies was conducted.

The review included studies in which a group of babies did not receive massage and were used in comparison to those who did. In most of these studies babies were rubbed or stroked for about 15 minutes, three or four times a day, usually for five or ten days. The studies found that when compared to babies who were not touched, babies receiving massage, gained more weight each day (about 5 grams). They spent less time in hospital, had slightly better scores on developmental tests and had slightly fewer postnatal complications, although there were problems with how reliable these findings are. The studies did not show any negative effects of massage. Massage is time consuming for nurses to provide, but parents can perform massage without extensive training.

Massage Benefits:

*Improves weight gain

*Helps the baby to become more organized

*Assists the baby in becoming more alert and interactive with others

*Helps start oral feeding earlier (rather than tube feeding)

* Promotes healthier bones

*Supports infant-parent interaction

*Promotes weight gain in preterm infants

*Lowers cortisol levels, a significant stress hormone

*Improves muscle tone

*Improves sleep

*Earlier hospital discharge

*Improves cognitive and motor development at eight months of age

*Infant massage is a cost effective tool

*Can be incorporated as a part of the premature infant's developmental care plan.

Benefits for Parents and Caregivers

* Provides all of the important ingredients of the parent-infant bonding and attachment: eye-to-eye, touch, smell, movement, voice and temperature regulation.

* Encourages pre-verbal communication between caregiver and infant

* Helps to increase parent's confidence and competence in caring their children.

* Helps parents to ease their stress if they are a working parent and must be separated from their children for extended periods during the day

*Gives parents one-on-one quite time or interactive play with their child

* Creates a regular time of infancy between child and parent

* Enhances parents' self esteem by reinforcing and complimenting their parenting skills, and validates their role

* Provides parents with the tools for understanding their child's unique behavior and patterns

* Teaches parents how to read their infants' cues and recognize their states of awareness

* Gives parents a special way to interact with their children who may be hospitalized. Helps parents feel a greater part of the healing process

* Daily massage helps parents to unwind and relaxe.

* Provides a positive way for fathers to interact with their infant child

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Learn more about holistic family health. Stop by Dr. Elaine Ferguson's site where you can find out all about infant massage and what it can do for you. Father Of Bride Speech: Mother Of The Bride Speech.