The Effects of Infant Massage on Maternal Distress: A Systematic Review
Article 2015 en
Authors
MG
Michael Galanakis
EN
Eleftheria Ntaouti
GT
Georgios Tsitsanis
Abstract
1 min read
Massage therapy is one of the oldest touch therapies, and it has been used for many conditions. We have systematically reviewed articles on infant massage to evaluate its effects on maternal distress, and also on mother-infant relationship. Infant massage has been known to benefit mothers and infants regarding several health variables such as depression, parenting stress, weight gain for the infant, hormones and anxiety as well as functionality of the immunity system. However, tactile-only stimulation must be distinguished from multisensory interventions that include a tactile component, for tactile-only stimulation without social contact is associated with higher levels of stress, and it is also overstimulating for infants. The significance of this systematic review lies in the important role of massage therapy in human health, as it highlights a crucial yet often underestimated effect in psychological and biosomatical variables.
Linda P. Siziba, Marko Mank, Bernd Stahl, Hermann Brenner, John Gonsalves, Bernadet Blijenberg, Katrin Horn, Markus Scholz, Parastoo Kheiroddin, Michael Kabesch, Deborah Wernecke, Dietrich Rothenbacher, Jon Genuneit
Alan Stein, Michelle G. Craske, Annukka Lehtonen, Allison G Harvey, Emily Savage‐McGlynn, Beverley Davies, Julia Goodwin, Lynne Murray, Mario Cortina‐Borja, Nicholas Counsell
Mary Ellen Gilder, Warunee Hanpithakphong, Richard M. Hoglund, Joel Tärning, Htun Htun Win, Naw Hilda, Cindy S. Chu, Germana Bancone, Verena I. Carrara, Pratap Singhasivanon, Sir Nicholas White, François Nosten, Rose McGready
Discussion(0)
No comments yet. Be the first to comment.