5 massage types for babies

Would you like to try a truly pleasant, relaxing and soothing method that may even have a positive effect on certain health issues your little one is facing? Baby massage helps babies unwind, eases tummy pain, and deepens your bonding relationship with your child. Some techniques can be used therapeutically to correct more serious developmental delays, tight muscles or asymmetrical posture within a short time.

Touch is one of a baby’s most fundamental needs. For massage, it’s important that the environment is calm, and the person giving the massage is patient and gentle. Your baby should feel safe, rest on a comfortable, soft surface, and be in a room at a suitable temperature. Baby massage typically uses oils or creams made from natural ingredients.

Just as there are simple massage methods that parents can perform, there are techniques that require formal professional training. Our aim here is to briefly introduce 5 types of massage that are available here too and used with infants.

We will not go into the techniques in detail, because even for a simple, relaxing massage, only a qualified professional can provide reliable guidance and teaching. The most important thing is that in every movement our child feels comfortable and safe, we avoid incorrect handling, and the intended benefits can take effect. These days you can request personalised advice and instruction from certified baby massage instructors, and even attend baby massage courses.

Tummy-ache massage

Tummy pain is perhaps one of the most common problems in infancy. It’s worth getting to know the symptoms in good time so that you can recognise them more easily. Abdominal cramps can cause very intense pain, which a baby may respond to with louder, high-pitched crying. You can read in detail about what may cause tummy ache and what the symptoms are in our previous article.

Of course, baby massage cannot resolve every type of tummy pain, but there are cases where it truly brings relief. You’ve no doubt heard how effectively gentle tummy massage can help trapped wind pass, giving quick comfort to a crying baby. It never takes long - a session covers 4 to 5 small movements. Tummy-ache massage can be repeated twice a day, or even at every nappy change.

Shantala massage

This wonderful Indian massage technique has been used by mothers for centuries. It consists of simple movements that are easy to learn and can be used at home from newborn stage. Shantala massage uses oil and, with gentle, stroking touches, has a positive effect on muscle tone, calms the autonomic nervous system, boosts circulation and supports detoxification. It also strengthens the immune system.
Like every form of massage, Shantala is a source of joy that strengthens the mother-child bond. Through a mother’s touch, a child’s body awareness and movement develop.

Have you heard about the Hungarian-developed Dévény Method?

This manual technique applies a completely new approach to the rehabilitation of children’s movement. What makes it unique? The Dévény Special Manual Technique-Gymnastics Method (DSGM) uses distinctive ways to determine the signs and degree of movement impairment. It restores the normal state of the muscle, tendon and connective tissue systems. It has achieved full recovery in children with problems that had previously been considered unsolved worldwide.

The Dévény Method helps reduce rehabilitation time by half after accidental injuries, supporting the earliest possible return of movement. In short, it enables the possibility of becoming capable of movement.

Only a qualified DSGM physiotherapist may perform assessments and treatments. The Anna Dévény Foundation has published a list of physiotherapists it recommends, which is a great help in finding a trusted specialist. If there is any need, we recommend contacting a Dévény physiotherapist with your child as soon as possible, because only therapy started early can deliver full recovery without residual symptoms. Experience shows that when a problem arises - to minimise lost time - you should seek a professional immediately, as appointments are often booked out weeks in advance.

Bowen Technique for babies

Tom Bowen, the creator of this holistic manual therapy, believed the body is its own best doctor. This type of massage is a unique series of precise muscle and connective tissue moves applied to specific points on the body, positively affecting a wide range of physical issues. It focuses on the whole person. It can influence metabolism, the nervous system and the musculoskeletal system, and supports the release of toxins within a relatively short time.

The Bowen Technique is a respectful, gentle and safe method for newborns and infants as well. It does not use strong pressure or manipulation, but stimulates the connective tissue system with soft, accurate movements, which makes it suitable even for sensitive babies. The therapist performs a sequence of moves and includes short pauses to allow the body to respond appropriately. The body is supported in self-healing.
Like other massage types, the Bowen Technique primarily helps reduce stress, ease restlessness and has a pain-relieving effect.

Craniosacral therapy for babies

Biomechanical craniosacral treatment is a special therapy that uses very delicate movements to affect the body. It is not strictly a massage, yet we mention it because for babies it involves a sequence of gentle, touch-based movements. It can be suitable for addressing feeding difficulties, and issues related to posture and movement.

Our nervous system develops within the craniosacral system, and the events we experience in life can create blocks there. These block the transmission of information along the nerves, causing tension. During therapy, with fine touch the practitioner helps release these tensions. As this flow is harmonised, there can be a positive effect on the whole body, and conditions may improve.

For an infant, touch is of primary importance

When a baby is born, their skin is the very first sense organ that most directly connects them with the outside world. In a world full of lights and sounds, babies have a deep need for touch. Touch recalls the warm, pleasant home that surrounded them in the womb. With baby massage we can ease this transition and make changes gentler. Babies experience that from now on they can still feel safe within the loving, stroking hands of their mother and parents.

Touch is, in fact, an inherited human need. In infancy, through touch, a baby experiences maternal care and learns that their signals receive a response. Touch expresses love. Beyond its emotional effects, it plays a serious role in physiological and behavioural development too.

If this area interests you, you can read more about different types of massage to find the one that suits you best. It’s important to consult a professional with any health concern. Never start a DIY treatment on your child based on videos without proper knowledge. A qualified massage instructor will help you learn the exact technique, check that you are doing it correctly, and you can ask for feedback or consult them if you feel uncertain about anything.

Sources:

NCT — Baby massage: tips and benefits.