What medical conditions can a parent hope to treat with massage?
IAIM instructors do not teach treatments, we prefer to use the word help. In that case, there are a number of common infant discomforts. Examples are: colic, constipation, respiratory problems, weight problems, self regulation, wake/sleep cycles, indigestion, stress and anxiety. Research Fact: In 1988, researcher Tiffany Field, M.D. studied the benefits of massage with pre-term infants. Preterm infants gained 47% more weight, became more socially responsive, and were discharged 6 days earlier at a hospital cost savings of $10,000 per infant (or 4.7 billion dollars if the 470,000 preemies born each year were massaged). The underlying biological mechanism for weight gain in the massaged preterm newborns may be an increase in vagal tone and, in turn, an increase in insulin (food absorption hormone). These questions and many more topics will be addressed by your Certified IAIM Instructor during your Baby Massage instruction.
