Massage Therapy Journal Summer 2024

Summer 2024 • 19

kind of oil to use, contraindications and exercises parents can do with their baby. Allen has seen the benefits of parent-led massage first-hand while working with a family whose baby was born with a serious cardiac condition. “Rather than me working directly with the baby, I thought it would be more beneficial if I taught the mother how to perform the massage,” Allen says. “Initially, she was hesitant, worried about the delicate health of her child. I decided my role was to support and guide her.” Allen visited the family’s home three times, helping the mother gain confidence, demonstrating how gentle touch can be safe and beneficial, and emphasizing the importance of a mother’s touch in healing and bonding. On the third visit, Allen noticed a significant change in the mother, who had become more confident and finally began massaging her baby and forming a stronger connection. The baby also seemed to relax and respond positively to the mother’s touch. “Now, at 16, this child is a testament to the power of touch therapy and the bond between a mother and her child,” Allen says. “It seemed evident that the massage therapy, administered lovingly by his mother, had a significant role in his survival and ongoing well-being.” Parent-led Massage: What Does the Science Say? A feasibility study 4 examined the effects of a physical and occupational therapy-led and parent administered massage program aimed at improving parent mental health and infant development in extremely preterm infants. Parents in the study attended weekly hands-on education sessions with a primary therapist while in the hospital, and received bi-weekly support emails for 12 months post-discharge. Researchers measured parent anxiety, depression and massage competence at baseline, upon discharge from the hospital, less than four months post discharge, and then again at 12 months post-discharge. Results showed that the parents met or exceeded all feasibility targets at both baseline and discharge, with parent-rated feasibility and acceptability scores remaining high at all points in time.

References 1. Düken ME, Yayan EH. “The effects of massage therapy and white noise application on premature infants’ sleep.” Explore (NY). 2023 Sep 12:S1550-8307 2. Kudchadkar SR, Berger J, Patel R, Barnes S, Twose C, Walker T, Mitchell R, Song J, Anton B, Punjabi NM. “Non-pharmacological interventions for sleep promotion in hospitalized children.” Cochrane Database Syst Rev . 2022 Jun 15;6. 3. Lin L, Yu L, Zhang S, Liu J, Xiong Y. “The positive effect of mother performed infant massage on infantile eczema and maternal mental state: A randomized controlled trial.” Front Public Health . 2023 Jan 11:10. 4. Geary O, Grealish A, Bright AM. “The effectiveness of mother-led infant massage on symptoms of maternal postnatal depression: A systematic review.” PLoS One . 2023 Dec 13:18. The review comprised eight studies with a total of 521 women with maternal postnatal depression. Researchers noted that all eight studies reported a reduction in postnatal depression in women participating in infant massage. In addition, women who used infant massage achieved improved mother-infant interactions and improved self-efficacy. Mother-led Infant Massage for Postpartum Depression Postpartum depression, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a condition new moms experience that commonly includes severe mood swings, crying spells, severe anxiety, difficulty bonding with their baby, loss of appetite, anger, thoughts of suicide and difficulty sleeping. Untreated, postpartum depression can last from three to six months or longer. According to Postpartumdepression.org, about one in 10 women will experience the condition, with some studies reporting the incidence as frequent as one in 7. Of the women who experience postpartum depression, nearly 50 percent go undiagnosed by their health care provider. Additionally, younger mothers (aged 25 or younger) are 7 percent more likely to develop postpartum depression than all other age groups. While there are numerous treatment options for postpartum depression, a recent systematic review 4 explored the effectiveness of mother-led infant massage on symptoms of maternal postnatal depression.

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