Baby_Maasage

Dates Karen Q1: In Your Own Words A: Describe Five Benefits of Massage for the Baby. 1. There are many physiological benefits of baby massage, which are well documented they include; • Improved & increased circulation • Improved flexibility & muscle tone • Improved skin condition • Improved immune system functioning • Aided respiratory function via the loosening of mucus • Stimulation of the senses • Increased production of Oxytocin; the hormone associated with bonding & love • Pain relief due to endorphin production • Prevention of flat head syndrome by encouraging carers to place babies on their fronts 2. Baby massage is also proven to reduce the incidence of colic in babies. The abdominal massage strokes regulate and strengthen the baby’s digestive system; this alleviates wind & constipation, factors that can cause the symptoms of colic. The soothing and calming nature of massage also helps to calm babies preventing them from becoming stressed and anxious through over stimulation at busy times of the day. Reductions in stress & anxiety will lessen the likelihood of a bout of colic occurring. However massage should be used as a preventative measure, to prempt a colic episode, not during an episode of colic. Carers should take their cues from their baby and practice massage upon them only when their baby displays positive cues that they are happy to be massaged. 3. Baby massage also supports babies personal, social and emotional development by • Giving them an understanding that they can communicate and express their feelings and wishes and that when they do they will be listened to, understood and acted upon – this is done by letting the baby lead the massage by acting upon the positive and negative cues the baby communicates about whether or not they wish to engage in massage • Developing babies sense of security; massage calms & soothes and is a pleasant experience, this helps baby to feel relaxed, less anxious and secure. Research has found lower Cortisol levels (the hormone secreted when under stress) in massaged babies • Supporting their developing awareness of their own body and identity through the massage of all their body parts • Associating and experiencing touch as a positive experience; some babies who are premature or have had intrusive medical interventions may have little experience of touch or have a negative association with touch massage can over come this by developing positive associations with touch if developed gradually over a period of time with due regard to baby led cues 4. Massage also has positive effects upon babies sleep. • Babies sleep for longer and enjoy a deeper sleep following massage • Introduced as part of a night time routine, babies are calmed and soothed following massage and in this physiological state are more likely to settle 5. Massage support babies cognitive development by providing babies with new and stimulating experiences that they can enjoy through all their senses; • Positive touch • Early play • Talking & chatter • Singing & rhyme • Music • Smell. The familiarity of the massage routine also enables babies to anticipate, recognise and remember, this is part of cognitive development where babies make connections between different stimuli. B. Explain Why you Feel These Are The Most Important • Physiological benefits such as increased immunity, supporting the respiratory system and pain relief are important in terms of baby remaining healthy and thus being comfortable enough in his physical state to be able soak up positive stimulation from the world around him. This allows baby to make those connections that are important for his cognitive development. Being in a healthy and comfortable physical state also promotes emotional well being, where baby feels relaxed and alert as opposed to stressed, anxious or indifferent which babies can if they are unwell. The physiological benefits experienced through massage aid good health which it turn aids the holistic development of the child. • Reducing the occurrence of colic symptoms is also very important in terms of holistic development. Experiences of colic are distressing for both babies and their carers. At such times both can become stressed and anxious. These feelings are oppositional to the bonding process and can hamper secure attachments being made. This will have a negative upon baby’s social and emotional development. • Supporting baby’s personal, social and emotional development is important. Carers want their babies to grow up to feel secure, confident, warm individuals with the capacity to love and be loved by others. Supporting this development means listening to both verbal and non-verbal signs of communication and respecting what this communication means. This way baby will develop awareness of his own identity and feelings and will feel secure in expressing these. These first interactions with carers are baby’s first experiences of communication. Baby will begin to learn the reciprocal nature of communication and how understanding can be picked up through gesture, touch, eye contact and other non-verbal cues. • Sleep is important for baby’s growth as it is during sleep that babies do the majority of their growing. If babies do not get enough sleep it also affects their temperament, they become stressed, grizzly, anxious, inattentive and unhappy. Some babies find it hard to settle to sleep. Sometimes this can be due to over stimulation, where there is just too much sensory activity going on within the environment such as noises, smells, bangs, lights etc. To support babies sleep patterns and to settle easily it is often important to introduce a bed time routine. This is a set of calm, soothing activities that relax the baby and as they become known to him prepare him for sleep. Massage is a favourable part of this routine because used in the right environment it will relax, sooth and calm baby. All conditions under which baby is far more likely to successfully fall asleep. • How babies learn about the world around them is called cognitive development. Babies learn through their senses, making connections between what they see, hear, touch, taste and smell. Providing babies with both new and repeated stimulation helps them to make these connections, consolidate their learning and build upon the knowledge they have already gained. Baby massage supports this development by introducing sensory stimuli in a relaxed and secure environment. Question 2: In your own words A. Describe Five Benefits of Baby Massage for the Parent. • Learning a new skill, feeling confident & competent about handelling their baby • Enjoying relaxing & feeling calm along side their baby • Bonding & developing firm attatchment with their baby based on love and affection • To promote parents understanding, respect and awareness of their babies communication through non-verbal cues • Encourages lactation through the stimulation of prolactin and encourages the nurturing instinct through the stimulation of Oxytocin B. Explain why you feel these are the most important. • New parents can feel wary about handeling their baby and parenting in general. Learning the skills involved in baby massage can help parents to feel confident and raise parents self esteem. Through handeling their child during massage sessions parents are likely to feel more competatnt and confident about handeling and touching their baby. • Baby massage under the right environmental conditions such as a quiet, warm , safe place cannot only relax and support baby to feel calm but also the parent too. Baby massage can be used as wind down, quite peacefull time for both baby and carer. • Spending quality uninterrupted time with baby is essential for bonding and attatchment. During baby massage baby and parent soak up lots of sensory information about each other smell, sound, touch which helps a reciprocail bond to grow and develops secure attatchment between the two. Possitive touch is an important part of the bonding process for both carers and babies. • Baby massage supports parents to recognise the non verbal cues communicated by their baby. Learning to look and act upon these cues helps parents to communicate back to their baby and to develop and understanding of how their baby is feeling . By acting upon the communications of their baby a relationship of mutual respect is achieved. Carers will also feel more in control and confident is they are able to read and respond to their babies cues. • Massage can support breast feeding as engaging in massage with their baby encourages the stimulation of Prolactin a hormone which supports lactation. Massage also stimulates Oxytocin a hormone which encourages parents nurturing insticts. Question 3: Describe in your own words A; All the precautions for infant massage • Ensure babies have had their six week health check. If parents has decided against the health check, the parent should sign a disclaimer because you cannot be sure the baby has no health problems that could be affected by massage. • It is advisable only to teach parents whose babies are 6week + as babies under this age are unlikely to cope with a full body massage for physiological reasons and the fact that they will not yet have had their six week check • Parents should also be made aware of your responsibilies regarding safeguarding children before they embark on the course. B; All the Contraindications for infant Massage • If baby is asleep • “ “ unwell • “ “ tired • “ “ crying • “ “ hungry • “ “ fretfull • “ “ has a tempreture or fever • “ “ has under gone surgery recently • “ “ has had a vaccination within the past three days • “ “ has an infectious skin disease or has open, weeping wounds or rashes • “ “ has any brusing, fractures or sprains • If baby’s navel has not yet healed • If baby is jaundiced • If baby has suffered any hemorraging • If baby has been diagnosed with brittle bone disease • If any thing has been picked up on the six week check, clarification about baby massage should be sought from the baby’s GP or health visitor Question 4: Describe the Following A; The Positive non-verbal cues that may be displayed by babies • Baby is quiet and alert • Baby reaches out towards parent • Baby has eye contact with parent • Baby raises his head • Baby’s eyes are wide open and bright • Baby follows parent with his gaze, moving head to follow • Baby is smiling • Baby is cooing • Baby is making smooth gentel arm and leg movements • Baby is responsive to parents voice and touch B; The Negative non Verbal Cues That May be Displayed by Babies • Crying • Yawning • Sleeping • Hiccups • Arching back • Waving arms and legs about • Wrinkling the fore head and frowning • Breathing quickly • Squirming • Pulling away from carer • Very pale or becoming very red in the skin • Mottled skin • Eyes tightly closed • Rubbing his eyes C; How the infant Massage Teacher Guides Parents to Understand the Yes and No cues for Baby Massage • Teaching parents to ask permission to ask permission before starting massage • Teaching parents to keep checking in with baby to make sure they are happy to continue • Teaching parents to use the velvet cloak stroke each time when they begin massage to let baby recognise the begining of massage and then teaching parents to observe if baby wants to continue and begin the massage routine • Teaching parents that massage is baby led and if baby is not happy the massage will be of no benifit to either of them • Setting homework and discussions around understaning and picking up upon babies non-verbal cues Explain the Following: A; Why is an understanding of Anatomy and Physiology Essential for infant Massage Teachers' • To understand and explain the physiological benefits of massage to parents • To support safe teaching practice • To make themselves and parents aware of contraindications and conditions which may be adversely affected by massage or require specific adaptations to the massage routine. Bibliography Berry Brazelton, T. Touch Points 2nd Edition. (2006) Da Capo Press: Massachusetts, USA. Carpenter, P and Epple, A. Infant Massage: The Definitive Guide for Teachers. Touch Learn Ltd Carpenter, P and Epple, A. (2007)Teach Yourself Baby Massage and Yoga. Hodder Education: London. Heller, S. (1997) The Vital Touch. Henry Holt and Company, LLC: New York, USA. Murray, L and Andrews, L. (2000) The Social Baby. CP Publishing: Richmond. WWW.touchlearn.co.uk