INFANT MASSAGE Although infant massage has only recently begun to be appreciated and practiced in this country, it has been a daily procedure in many cultures. Nurturing touch between a caregiver and an infant enriches physiological, social-emotional, and mind/body/spirit connections for the infant being massaged as well as for the caregiver. Being touched and caressed, being massaged, is food for the infant. Touch is vital for the development of attachment behavior and for early socialization of the young child. Massage is a gentle warm communication between the caretaker and the child. It allows the caretaker to engage and relax the baby in mutually pleasurable interaction. Research by Dr. Tiffany Field of the Touch Institute in Miami and others has shown that massage benefits infants in a variety of populations, including premature infants, infants with motor problems, those with gastrointestinal illness, infants exposed to drugs in utero, visually impaired babies, and institutionalized infants. Benefits of infant massage include: - promoting bonding and attachment - helping babies to sleep better - stimulating and strengthening circulation, digestion and elimination systems, which can lead to weight gain - reducing the discomfort from teething, colds, congestion, gas, colic, emotional stress - enhancing communication through eye contact, skin contact, smiles, soothing sounds - helping caretaker to build understanding of the babies' cues - improving a sense of well-being and increasing relaxation of caretaker providing massage CLASSES INFANT MASSAGE CLASSES for parents and expectant parents. Massaging a baby helps with bonding and relaxation for all of you, and helps baby to sleep, reduce gas, constipation, colic, etc. Class includes brief lecture, demo, guided massage, and relaxation exercise for parents. No classes are currently scheduled. Sandra offers private classes and tutorials. SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW MOMS: Massage Therapy session combined with Infant Massage Tutorial To contact Sandra, call (617) 876-0196 or Sandra@BostonMassage.org SANDRA DAITCH, LMT, CIMI, CLYL, SEP offers training in Infant Massage for parents and other childcare providers. She has a BA from the Eliot Pearson Dept. of Child Study at Tufts University, preschool teaching experience, and over 20 years as a Licensed Massage Therapist and Massage Instructor. Sandra is dedicated to bringing the gift of touch to many different caregiving situations. Her other workshops include "Massage with a Partner," and "Laughter and Massage for Stress Reduction." Sandra is also a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader and a Certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner. She has an office in Arlington, Massachusetts. Resources Infant Massage, A Handbook for Loving Parents, Vimala McClure The Book of Baby Massage, For a Happier, Healthier Child, Peter Walker Loving Hands, Frederick Leboyer Touch Research Institute: www.miami.edu/touch-research To find Certified Infant Massage Instructors: www.IAIMUS.com or www.InfantMassageUSA.org