What Are the Benefits of Massage in Premature Infants?

Premature infants face many obstacles at birth, and are particularly fragile. Human touch is very powerful for all newborns, but is especially so for premature babies. As long as the preemie is medically sound, gentle massage can have many benefits.

Increases Weight Gain

• Gently massaging preemies three times a day for two weeks increases birth weight, according to a study conducted at the University of Miami's Touch Research Institute. The infants in the study gained forty-seven percent more weight, were released earlier and were more responsive than preemies who were not massaged.

Relaxes Nervous System

• You doctor can tell you if your preemie is ready for massage.

  As long as the premature infant is medically stable, gentle touch and massage can relax the nervous system. The tinier the preemie, the more careful one must be when using massage. If the baby is too premature, massage could actually overwhelm their nervous system and cause distress. The calming warmth of a caregiver's hand and soothing touch of skin can calm distress and help premature infants sleep.

Strenghtens Bond with Baby

• Combine soothing voice with massage to increase bonding with baby.

  At as early as eight weeks, an embryo begins to recognize touch. For the next thirty weeks, the baby is essentially massaged in the womb. When a baby is born prematurely, he is often whisked away to be warmed in an incubation chamber, and doesn't get the reassuring touch of his mother. An infant recognizes his mother's touch and smell and the sound of her voice. Massage will help him with this recognition and facilitate bonding.