 News
8th November 2006
Massage baby for good night's sleep
Massage is as good as rocking to calm babies down, according to experts.
Researchers from Warwick Medical School and the Institute
of Education at the University of Warwick found that massage helped lower
stress levels in infants which in turn helped them sleep better.
The study also found it promoted and strengthened the bonds
between parents and their new baby.
Lead researcher Angela Underdown looked at nine different
studies covering 598 babies all under one year old to study the effects
of massage on babies.
She found lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in
babies who had been massaged than in those who had not.
She also saw that the massaged babies cried less and slept
better.
In one study which compared rocking to massage, there was
no significant difference on the effect on babies and Dr Underdown said
more studies needed to be done to prove which was better.
"There are indications that infants who were massaged were
more relaxed, probably due to lower levels of stress hormones such as
cortisol compare to infants who did not receive massage," she said.
"One of the studies also suggests that massage may help
in aiding infants' sleeping patterns.
"None of the studies that we examined recorded any detrimental
effects of infant massage.
"As there are indications that infant massage may have an
effect on sleep and crying this would seem a useful technique that parents
can use with their babies to help them relax and promote sleep."
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