1. The Power of
Infant Massage
3rd Annual Infant Toddler
Conference
Dr. Mary Kay Keller
2. Contact Information
Mary Kay Keller, M.P.A., Ph.D.
C.E.I.M., C.F.L.E.
Family Life Education &
Family Life Coaching Services
https://marykaykeller.com/
3. GOAL
Family Ecology
Value of Infant Massage:
How does massage
impact both the baby
& the caregiver?
Why is massage
important to you as
educators & policy
makers?
How can you play a role
in changing the world
of children?
4. Objectives
Develop basic
knowledge of science
based benefits of
infant massage.
Develop an
understanding of how
parents, caregivers &
babies benefit from
I.M. classes.
Develop strategies for
how you can make a
difference.
5. Purpose of Infant Massage
Infant/Child massage IS
a communication
process which sets an
emotional dance
between the parent or
caregiver and the baby
to continue
throughout their lives.
6. Goal of Infant Massage Classes
Provides
bidirectional
support for
bonding &
attachment
processes
between
infants & their
caregivers.
Parent
benefits
Baby
receives
massage
Baby
benefits
Parent
massages
infant
7. Cultural Perspective
Vimala McClure –
Infant Massage and
the India experience
Dr. Tiffany Fields'
Article on "Touch"
research, comparison
of the French culture
and American cultures
Inclusion of Swedish
Massage, Indian
Massage and
Reflexology
8. Benefits of Massage for
Caregivers
Encourages engagement & bonding
Baby
Mother Father
Grandma Grandpa
Daycare Providers
Foster
Parents
Adoptive
Parents
9. Benefits of Massage for
Caregivers
Increase parental confidence and feelings of competency
Increased ability to read the baby’s cues, enhanced
communication
Promotes intimacy
Longer and uninterrupted sleep
Happier babies make for happier, relaxed and in control
caregivers
Bidirectional physiological effects on the giver of
massage
10. Benefits of Massage for Baby
Engagement
Interaction
Relaxation
Relief
Stimulation –
includes
stimulation of all
the physiological
systems
13. Relaxation
Tactile contact, eye
contact, smell and
heartbeat sounds
all send soothing
messages to the
baby’s system
Increases baby’s
tolerance for stress
14. Relief
Helps to tone the
digestive tract,
helps move gas
and fecal matter
into the bowel for
expulsion
Emotional stress is
expressed and
relieved
15. Stimulation
Sensory Stimulation
speeds myelination of
the brain & nervous
system
Stability of the
nervous system and
resistance to disease
Stimulates the
respiratory,
circulatory, and
gastrointestinal
systems and
neurological
development
17. Emotional Attachments
Securely bonded
Easy to get close to others,
have no problems with
mutual dependence
Have happy, trusting
relationships; romances
last the longest and end in
divorce least often of the
groups’ studies
Had close, secure
relationships in infancy
and were held, kissed, and
cuddled
18. Emotional Attachments
Anxious/ambivalent
Want to be close to others but they tend to
attract people who are unable to be close
Worry about people leaving them, tend to be very
jealous and have intense emotional ups and
downs
The largest group—perhaps a reflection of the
‘don’t spoil the baby’ attitudes of the baby-boom
generation
Were loved as infants but their caregivers were
ambivalent and confused, giving them mixed
messages about their worth, their safety, and the
trustworthiness of the world
19. Emotional Attachments
Avoidant
Feel uneasy when people get too close
Have trouble trusting or depending on
others, and are afraid of intimacy
Tend to give the message, "I love you/go
away"
Were neglected in infancy, punished for
"bad" behavior made to be independent
and “strong,” and told it wasn’t nice to
express emotion
20. Boundaries
Asking the baby’s
permission to be touched,
sets an expectation for the
child to expect to give
permission before being
touched.
Massage adjusts the baby's
awareness of loving touch
versus painful or hurting
touch.
21. Communication
Parenting by asking the child’s permission,
responding to verbal and non-verbal cues,
turns the traditional adult teaching the
child, to the child teaching the adult about
their wants/needs.
Teaching parents to read their baby’s
engagement cues increases the level of
connectedness between the caregiver &
baby
Massage classes with parents provide an
atmosphere in which to observe
problematic engagements e.g., a lack of
eye contact, response to crying or lack of
engagement with the baby.
22. Demonstration of the Strokes
Head - Engagement
Chest - Emotional release
Stomach - Digestive support
Back - Stress release
Legs – Relaxation
Feet – Non threatening
23. Behavioral States
of the Newborn
Quiet Sleep - Eyes are firmly closed
and still, little or no motor activity and
Respiration is primarily abdominal
Active Sleep - Eyes are closed but may
move (rapid eye movements), Body
activity from twitching to writhing and
stretching, Facial movements include
frowning, smiling, sucking, and
sometimes ‘laughing’ noises
Drowsy - Eyes may open and close or
be partially open, still and dazed
Quiet alert - Body and face relatively
inactive, face is relaxed, eyes open and
bright, observant
Active alert - Lots of activity, irregular
respiration, cries, moans, and grunts
and fussing
Crying - Much activity sustained crying
24. Infant Massage Benefits
Infants whose parent suffers from a Mental Health condition
Infants whose parent suffers from a Substance Abuse condition
Infants exposed to Substances during pregnancy
Infants exposed to violence and whose parent was exposed to violence
Infants Orphaned in Foster Care or Adopted
Infants born HIV Positive
Infants born with Cerebral Palsy
Infants born with Down syndrome
Infants born with Spina Bifida or other congenital birth conditions
Infants born with Hearing Impairments
Infants born with Visual Impairments
Infants born to Teen Moms
Infants born Pre-Mature
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
26. Why is massage important to you
as educators & policy makers?
In home
I M
Classes
Parenting
Competency
Healthier
&
Confident Children
Healthier
&
Stable
Families
Engaged
Parents
Increased
Opportunities
For Learning
Engaged
Children
Builds Parents’
Confidence
27. How can you play a role in
changing the world of children?
Challenge your belief system. Do
you support violent child rearing
or nurturing parenting?
Support programs which seek to
eliminate violence in the schools
(nospank.net) & promote
opportunities to learn problem
solving skills.
Engage others in conversations
to challenge their belief
systems.
Make a leap of faith to suggest
the world could be a better
place for children, yours, mine,
& our grandchildren!
28. Develop strategies for how you
can make a difference.
Encourage parents &
caregivers to massage their
babies & children
Model Nurturing yourself &
others
Promote Infant Massage by
giving gift certificates to
new parents & caregivers
Provide opportunities for
parents & caregivers to
learn about the many
benefits of Infant Massage
Ask for funding for
research, training &
development or contribute
funding
29. Lessons of Small Leverage
A small thing done many
times can change one
person
A small thing done many
times by many people
can change a
community
A small thing done many
times by many people in
many communities can
change the world
30. Why Infant Massage?
Infant
Toddler
Child
Family Norms
Social Norms
Boundaries
Communication
Nurturing
Adolescents
Nurturing
Parents
Engaged
Communities Boundary
Awareness
Community Norms
Relaxation
Health
Engaged
Engaged
Families
Nurturing
Children Nurturing
Young
Adults
Education
Public Safety
Public Health
Environment
Respect
Relationship
Competency
Health
Safety
Trust
Bonded Attached
Nurturing
Behaviors
Family
Values
Environmental
Respect
Caretaking
31. Why Infant Massage?
Generational Cycle
Mother
Parent
Father
Parent
Infant
Toddler
Child
Attitudes
Of
Nurturing
Perceptions
Of
Nurturing
Behavior
Modeling
Family Norms
Developmental
Educational
Health
Social
Skills
Future
Nurturing
Caretaking
32. What’s The Alternative?
Infant
Family
Social Norms
Child
Abuse
Child
Neglect
Domestic
Violence
Violence &
Crime
Public
Safety
Drop
Outs
Bullying
Workforce
Development
Homelessness
Costs
to
Healthcare
Juvenile
Justice
Learned
Helplessness Victimization
Addiction
Sexual Abuse
Abandonment
Criminal Behavior
Family Disruption
Intergenerational
Family Violence
Community Norms
Disrespect Isolation
Behavioral
Disorders
Developmen
tal Delays
Mental
Health
Ill Health
Infant
Mortality
ATOD
Elder
Abuse &
Neglect
Cruelty to
Animals
Loneliness
Detachment
Gangs
SYNDEMICS
33. What’s the Alternative?
Generational Cycle
Mother
Parent
Father
Parent
Child
Attitudes
Perceptions
Behavior
Modeling
Family Norms
ATOD
Mental Health
Educational
Failure Child Abuse Violence
34. At What Cost?
Classroom Disruptions 77,760
Physical hits on others 6,480
Acts of Vandalism 325
Hours of Instruction Disruption 360
Items stolen from others 1,350
Administrative hours lost 144
Teacher hours lost in meetings 90
Nurses office visits 1,200
35. At What Cost?
Pre Birth & Infancy $ 58,000
Early Childhood Years $ 34,300
Elementary School Years $ 74,100
Secondary & Teen Years $ 475,700
Other Adult Years $ 895,000
Total Cost One Child $1,536,100
Total Cost for Infant Massage
In Home Instruction $ 150.00
36. WHY Infant Massage?
Animals accidentally affect
their environment….
Human beings are the only
organism on this planet
that can consciously
create a future
environment for
themselves...
What do you want to
increase & decrease in
your FUTURE?
38. Research References
McClure, V. 1989. Infant Massage – A handbook
for loving parents
Montagu A. 1986. Touching: The significance of
the skin
Perlman, M. http:www.nurturingfathers.com
Bavolek, S. Hardwired to connect.
http://nurturingparenting.com
Bavolek, S. Developing empathy in families
Role of experiential learning
SYNDEMICS, Dr. Embry, www.paxtalk.com
39. Reading Resources
ACE Study – The relationship between Adverse
Childhood Experiences and Adult Health
At A Loss For Words - How America is Failing Our
Children & What We Can Do About It. Betty Bardige
Infant Massage Research – Dr. Tiffany Fields, University
of Miami Touch Institute http://www6.miami.edu/touch-
research/about.htm
“The Gift of Fear” & “Protecting The Gift,” by Gavin
DeBecker
Stalking of the Soul: Emotional Abuse – The Erosion of
Identity by Marie-France Hirigoyen
When The Horse Dies, Get Off…and Stop Dragging it
Around! By Louise Lebreen
40. Contact Information
Mary Kay Keller, M.P.A., Ph.D., C.E.I.M., C.F.L.E.
Family Life Education Classes
Family Life & Individual Coaching Across the Lifespan
Global Access
Dr. Mary Kay Keller
https://marykaykeller.com/