subject: Touching Your Baby To Improve His Digestion And Circulation [print this page] Intentional touch, or Massage, has soothing effects and has been shown to help improve digestion and circulation in babies.
Neuroscientists found that touching and caressing baby seems to help elevate production of serotonin, a hormone that helps the body cope with stress, and moderate production of cortisol, a hormone produced by the body's when subject to stress. Abnormal levels of the stress hormone have been linked to changes in a part of the brain involved with learning and memory.
The skin is the largest organ of the body and has all sorts of nerve sensors for touch. Whenever baby is touched, Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), a hormone in the brain, is produced causing more development of nerve nets in baby's nervous system.
Touch is also your baby's first language. Through the nurturing touch of infant massage, you communicate deep love and respect to your child in a language he or she understands well. This will greatly strengthen the bond between you and baby and aid his development too.
Massage enables babies to release tension, helping them learn to "cope" or self-regulate. This helps them achieve greater relaxation and a sense of well-being, which tends to promote more regular sleep patterns. Parents tend to sleep better as a result of the improvement in Baby's sleep.
Massage in an intimate and fully connected way between parent and child is sometimes called "Listening touch" because it helps adults and baby learn to listen and to communicate through touch. Intentional touch is an easy way for important caregivers other than mom to have quiet, cozy time with baby. Dads often appreciate this unique opportunity to bond with baby too!
So before you send your baby to bed, give him or her a good massage. This is a good time to create a stronger bonding between the baby and parent. Don't miss it.
