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THE HEALTHY TOUCH!


Marilyn Lopes
Extension Specialist, Family Life Education
Cape Cod Extension
University of Massachusetts

Copyright/Access Information


Evidence shows that loving, touching, nurturing contact between caregiver and infant has a positive impact upon the infant's development. Infant massage is one of the easiest methods of providing early positive contact.

Recent studies show that premature babies who were massaged every day were ahead of others in both physical and neurological development.

Proponents of infant massage say that it helps to strengthen and regulate respiratory, circulatory, and gastrointestinal functions, often relieving the discomforts of colic and gas; helps the baby to relax and relieves the stresses of encounters with the world around him; enhances the loving communication between caregiver and baby; and helps parents to keep "in touch" with the infant's non-verbal cues, especially valuable for fussy,
colicky, or sick babies.

Infant massage includes critical elements of bonding - eye-to-eye contact, skin-to-skin contact, smiling, soothing sounds and smells, cuddling, response and interaction.


DOCUMENT USE/COPYRIGHT
National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Part of CYFERNET, the National Extension Service Children Youth and Family Educational Research Network. Permission is granted to reproduce these materials in whole or in part for educational purposes only(not for profit beyond the cost of reproduction) provided that the author and Network receive acknowledgment and this notice is included:

Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC.
(1993). The healthy touch! In M. Lopes (Ed.) CareGiver News (May, p. 4).
Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Cooperative Extension.

Any additions or changes to these materials must be preapproved by the author.
FORMAT AVAILABLE:: Available only on the Internet
DOCUMENT REVIEW:: Level 2 - University of Massachusetts Cooperative
Extension System
ENTRY DATE:: July 1995

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