Massage in premature children

  • 2013

Massage in premature children has proven to be a very beneficial tool to reverse or compensate for conflicting initial experiences.

Dear parents, children always respond happily to all forms of human contact. Infant massage is a privileged tool to establish and strengthen the attachment bond, enhance your physical, cognitive and social development, enjoy the massage with your baby.

The opportunity for interaction between the baby and his parents in the first minutes of life is extremely important. However, in the case of premature babies such interactions as a rule are hindered by a prolonged hospital stay and / or by too intrusive medical treatment. The first contacts the baby receives are usually aggressive: isolation from maternal contact, punctures, probe wires, etc.

The patterns of interaction between premature children and their parents are very different from those of those who have had a natural pregnancy without setbacks. Premature babies tend to be less alert, to respond less, have more difficulty communicating their needs; They are usually more irritable and sometimes they are more difficult to calm. Their parents should provide them with more care in the first months.

Hospitalizations often add economic and / or couple problems that have a negative impact on the relationship. The image of this son does not match the expectations that his parents had of him, who usually feel helpless in the face of hospitalization situations, experience anxiety about the condition of the Child and many times feeling helpless and frustrated.

In short, the birth of a premature child is usually experienced as a stress situation. Stress can act negatively on behaviors for the development of a secure attachment.

A difference can be made between high-risk and low-risk premature children. The former usually have a more insecure attachment, due among other factors, to the anxiety situation experienced by their parents.

Another factor that can influence negatively causing anxiety and anguish, are comparisons. At first the comparison will be made with other hospitalized children; Then the parents will find themselves comparing their child with others of the same age, creating in them a situation of uncertainty.

Faced with such a scenario, massage in premature children has proven to be a very beneficial tool to reverse or compensate for these conflicting initial experiences.

We talk about two different times: there are premature babies who usually receive massages early, during hospitalization. Several studies have proven the efficacy of these complementary therapeutic massages. First, it strengthens the bond with the mother, which benefits the development of the baby's central nervous system, specifically in the limbic. Secondly, the immune system is reinforced: babies who receive massages recover faster and the number of re-hospitalizations decreases statistically.

Among the many existing examples we will cite the conclusions of the clinical trial conducted with premature babies in the Neonatology Service of the San José Hospital in Chile during 2006 and 2007. The conclusions they reached are very clear: «It has been demonstrated in various studies the effects of massage on premature newborns by measuring: weight gain, nutritional balance, increased vagal tone in the gastrointestinal tract, decreased cortisol levels, increased motor activity, regulation of sleep patterns, decreased pain, Better emotional bond and decrease in the days of hospitalization (...) premature newborns can go, on average, 15 days before their homes can translate into other benefits for the child and his family ».

When arriving at home babies need to repair these unpleasant sensations by pleasant experiences that will improve the emotional bond. Children's massage is the ideal instrument of relationship and communication between the child and his parents.

By specifically dedicating time and emotional space for interaction through infant massage, parents manage to contemplate the individuality of their baby, becoming familiar with their body language. They can begin to establish a skin-to-skin dialogue, promoting affective nutrition through touch.

An example of premature massage is the "Butterfly Massage Technique" by Eva Reich, a pediatrician and physiotherapist. The principles of work of this technique are focused on observing and respecting the needs of each baby and his family, working according to the flow of vital energy and using a touch as soft as "that of the wings of a butterfly."

It is carried out from four basic maneuvers that will be combined to massage the different parts of the body. In each session you can complete the circuit or select regions, according to the tolerance and enjoyment that the child shows.

1- The caress

The child's skin is gently and slowly rubbed with the fingers slightly open.

The body is traversed, just without pressing, with constant and continuous movements that start from the center to the sides and from top to bottom.

Move both hands as if they were butterfly wings that wrap the little one.

Repeat the maneuver 3 times.

2- Muscle relaxation

The hand is supported, without pressing, with the tips of the fingers together, on the area where the massage will be performed.

Then, that part of the body is gently shaken from side to side as if it were a flan, always very gently.

Repeat the maneuver 3 times.

3- The circles

The tip of the index finger is lightly supported on the child's skin and small circles are described, pressing just.

Then the finger moves a few centimeters to another area and the movement is repeated. The finger should slightly "knead" the skin and subcutaneous muscles. The sequence is from top to bottom and from the center out.

Repeat the maneuver 3 times.

4- Flight of butterflies

Both hands are supported and three long, light and fluid passes are made, both at the beginning and at the end of the massage session, from the top of the head to the feet, as well as stretching them beyond their dimensions. Like this movement to the soft touch of a butterfly that runs through the body.

This is one of the many techniques that can be applied and learned, the different types of massage can be adapted according to the characteristics of the child, can be combined to obtain better results.

Enjoy the moment!

María Inés Cerna

Psychopedagogue Early Stimulator

www.cerna.es

Next Article