What time do newborns get massage. Are there any contraindications. Features of massage for babies of different ages and a set of exercises

03.07.2019

Gentle touches are pleasant to everyone, both adults and children. However, babies, especially those recently born, need them more than others. Hug and lightly stroke your beloved baby from the first days of his life, but when he is a month old, you can start giving the baby a light massage. All pediatricians recommend carrying out such procedures, because they are not only pleasant, but also very useful.

Why do newborns need massage?

According to many scientists, babies who are regularly massaged develop much better and faster, grow open and sociable. In newborns, visual and auditory receptors are still underdeveloped, they feel the world around them to a greater extent through touch. The benefit of massage for a newborn is that it helps to develop the emotional state of the crumbs and the ability to perceive the surrounding space. In addition, such procedures are also a good way to prevent many childhood diseases, they help to coordinate the work of all systems and organs. Massage sessions have the best effect on the digestive system, help to cope with constipation and intestinal colic, improve appetite. Massage for babies allows you to relieve tension and increased excitability, improves the quality of sleep, develops motor activity, improves posture and physical fitness. It is also an additional way for the crumbs to contact their parents.

But this is not all that massage sessions are capable of. Their special types help to cope with many children's problems - flat feet, cerebral palsy, scoliosis, muscle hypertonicity, central nervous system diseases, hip dysplasia, congenital dislocations, etc. However, therapeutic massages should only be trusted by specialists. But a simple prophylactic is recommended for all babies, but only if there are no contraindications to it.

Massage contraindications for a newborn

Contraindications to any type of massage for newborns are the following conditions:

Stroking- sliding uniform movements of the palm along the skin, in which the skin does not move into folds. Has a relaxing effect. For babies up to three months, only this technique is used.
Trituration- movements similar to stroking, but made with great effort and in different directions. It is recommended to perform it in a circular motion from the periphery to the center. Rubbing reduces excitability, promotes muscle relaxation.
kneading- in this case, a muscle is massaged, which is captured and kneaded with fingers. For massage of children, this technique is used very rarely, and it is better to entrust it to a specialist.
Vibration- a movement in which various oscillatory movements are transmitted. For babies, light patting or tapping with the fingertips is usually used.

How to massage a baby

All of the above methods are recommended to be carried out in a certain sequence. First stroking, then kneading, stroking again, then kneading, stroking, vibration and finally stroking again. It is always recommended to start the massage with light movements. Stroking is repeated, as a rule, about five times, all other techniques are 9-12. In this case, the pressure can be slightly increased only after the baby's muscles relax.

Massage procedures for babies are carried out to improve health. Depending on the purpose, they are divided into the following types:

Therapeutic. It can be prescribed by specialists such as a neurologist, a surgeon or an orthopedist. Therapeutic massage is designed to address a specific health problem.
Corrective. This type of massage is designed to strengthen the positive result of medical procedures. It helps to prevent the recurrence of a certain disease. Corrective massage is prescribed by the attending physician. For procedures, you must contact a qualified massage therapist.
Prophylactic. Such procedures can be carried out independently at home. Preventive massages strengthen the muscular corset, contribute to the proper development of the body, and also increase immunity.

Properly performed massage has many beneficial properties, namely:

Massage procedures at home can be combined with children's songs and rhymes. This will make the process more interesting and comfortable for the baby.

How many months can you start?

Massage procedures for infants for preventive purposes should be carried out from the very first month of birth. Depending on the age of the baby, massage is done with the direction to achieve such goals:

Up to three months. At this age, almost every baby has muscle hypertonicity. Massage in this case helps to relax them.
Up to 4 months. During this period, the baby's hypertonicity disappears. The procedures are aimed at strengthening the muscles of the upper and lower extremities. Finger massage helps to improve fine motor skills, as well as prevent problems with speech activity.
From six months. At this age, the child should already roll over and sit on their own. At six months, a massage for a baby is aimed at strengthening the muscles of the back and abdominals.
By 9 months. During this period, the child begins to make independent attempts to walk. Massage exercises in this case are aimed at strengthening muscles throughout the body.
By 1 year. Procedures for this age are necessary to normalize the coordination of movements. They are best done in a playful way, as the child becomes bored of lying down, as at an early age.

Attention! If a new mother doubts her massage abilities, it is better to contact a specialist! A professional massage therapist will carry out the procedure painlessly, with maximum benefit for the baby.

When and what time is best?

Before conducting massage exercises, for their maximum effectiveness, you must adhere to the following rules:

Also, do not forget to remove bracelets and other jewelry before the massage. This will help to avoid injury to the skin of the baby.

How often can a breast procedure be performed?

In order for the exercises to give maximum results, you need to do them daily. The number of procedures should be 1-2 times a day. It all depends on the individual characteristics of the development of the baby, as well as on the purpose of the massage.

Almost everyone knows that a properly done massage always benefits health. However, in the case of infants, questions are often asked when to start massaging a newborn, and where to start. The answer is very simple - you can do it to a child almost from the first weeks of life. It’s just that the procedure requires some preparation: if you master a few simple techniques, mom can handle it on her own.

First of all, you need to immediately make a reservation that different types of massage are very different from each other in their purpose and technique.

Therapeutic massage is intended for purely medical purposes - the impact is made on certain areas. In this case, the procedure is always carried out in combination with other measures of therapy - medicines, physiotherapy sessions, etc. In this case, only a specialist can massage a newborn.
Preventive is a general health measure and is carried out for all babies almost from the first week of life. Mom can handle it too if she masters a few simple hand movements.

The benefits of the procedure for the health of the child are obvious - after all, he has been in the womb for a long time and now needs the rapid and full development of the whole body.

Thanks to massage, a healing effect on the body as a whole is carried out, which is manifested in the following:

optimization of blood flow to different organs, parts of the body and tissues;
maintaining a healthy tone of muscles and blood vessels;
stabilization of the nervous system and behavior of the baby: he becomes calmer, sleep is strengthened due to the relaxing effect of massage, also due to the fact that as a result of such influences, the production of the stress hormone cortisol decreases;
a general healing effect is also manifested in increasing immunity, strengthening the general condition of the child's body;
finally, due to irritation of the nerve endings on the surface of the body, the nervous system and the whole body of the newborn develop rapidly.

PLEASE NOTE - The benefits of massage exposure are maximally manifested only if the correct regimen (duration, interval) and the procedure technique itself are observed. Therefore, in the absence of appropriate skills, the mother needs to consult a nurse and a doctor, and then try to massage the child on her own.

For therapeutic purposes, massage for a newborn is indicated for a number of diseases:

various disorders of the nervous system;
decreased or increased muscle tone;
curvature of the legs (X-type and O-type);
hip pathologies: congenital dislocations, semi-dislocations;
hip dysplasia;
chest deformities;
torticollis;
tremor;
scoliosis;
flat feet.

At the same time, there are a number of diseases, painful conditions of the child, in which massage should not be done unless the procedure is agreed with the doctor first:

SARS and other infectious diseases;
rickets;
with caution - with congenital heart defects;
umbilical and inguinal hernias;
disorders of the stomach and intestines;
skin suppurations, rashes and inflammations.

In fact, any painful condition of the baby is a signal that you should not take risks and massage. However, in the case of chronic diseases, the procedure does not need to be abandoned - just in such situations, special exercises and a sparing regimen are required, which the doctor will tell you in detail about.

In other cases, the procedure is given to babies at almost any age. Most often, when asked at what age massage procedures can be done, doctors answer: after 1 month of life, all babies should have daily preventive massage. A detailed description of the relevant performance techniques is given in the corresponding section.

How to massage a baby depends on its age.

It is important to consider that before any session, a little preparation should be done:

The room should be at a comfortable temperature.
For the child, you need to prepare a flat and soft surface on which a diaper or blanket is placed.
Hands should be clean, nails trimmed as much as possible. You should also remove all jewelry, watches, etc.

It is important to correctly determine the time when you can start doing massage.

Here are some helpful tips for this:

the optimal time is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., i.e. in the evening, and even more so at night, it is better not to perform a session;
if the baby looks tired, he tends to sleep, the procedure should be postponed;
Finally, an important condition when you can do a massage is eating: you can start the session at least an hour after eating.

NOTE

Before and during the procedure, you should continuously monitor the behavior of the baby: if he likes it, he does not cry or act up, then everything is in order. If he looks lethargic and cries during the massage, it is worth rescheduling it.

Conventionally, 4 periods of the life of a one-year-old child are distinguished: up to 3 months, up to 6, up to 9 and up to 12. In each of these periods, the massage technique will have its own: gradually the movements become more complex and more diverse. In general, the procedure is repeated daily (1 time) every third month: i.e. 4 such cycles go through in a year.

1 to 3 months

If we talk about how to massage a baby in the very first months, then the main thing here is to observe a sparing regimen: all movements should be extremely careful, soft and like the child.

The first sessions are essentially not a massage, but stroking different parts of the body without much pressure: back, abdomen, arms, legs, all fingers. The nature of the movements depends on the massaged area:

Palms and heels, feet are stroked and gently kneaded.
The tummy is massaged in circular motions clockwise.
Back - with light movements on the right and left sides of the spine (at least 1 cm).

The duration of the session is short - from 5 to 10 minutes. In this case, the areas of the heart, liver, armpits and below the knees should not be touched.

The duration of the procedure gradually increases to 20-30 minutes.

A number of others are added to the already described actions at this time:

First stroke the arms, legs and fingers; you can gently rub all areas. The armpits, under the knees, the inner thighs are not touched.
The tummy is again stroked clockwise, and straight upward and downward movements are made to the groin area and back.
On the chest, you can only stroke in the area of \u200b\u200bthe shoulders and on the sides.
The neck is massaged with very light movements only in the supine position.
The back is stroked with the pad of the palm along the vertebra (but not along the spine itself). If the baby is lying on its side, you can move your fingertip along the spine along the entire column.
It is very important to teach the child to grab mom's finger so that he can hold on tightly and rise, stretching.
You can also take the baby by the armpits and lean forward a little, making sure that he learns to lean on his legs and take small steps.
You can make a slight tilt upside down (no more than 30 o) so that the blood flows slightly to the head, but if the child cries, you should not repeat the exercise.

At this time, the charging complex also begins to master - all exercises are done when the baby is lying on his back:

handles need to be alternately spread and brought together;
then the arms are extended and lowered;
knees converge and diverge;
and finally, gently roll the baby in different directions.

IMPORTANT - When the baby is 3 months old, it will periodically need to be laid on the tummy so that gases do not stagnate in the intestines.

At this stage, several other exercises are added to all the described massage actions:

Particular attention is paid to active activities - the baby must learn to crawl. This technique helps especially well: a bright, beautiful toy is placed in front of the child, and when he starts to crawl after it, you can play a little and move it a few centimeters away - then the baby will crawl a greater distance.
At the same time, the child is taught to walk independently: first, he is supported by both hands, then by one. The baby should walk with arms wide apart (on the line of the shoulders).

9th to 12th month

Finally, at the end of the first year, the following exercises are added to the already described massage actions and active exercises:

Raising the legs (when the child is lying down).
Little squats.
Tilts of the body in a standing position, turns.

Ball exercises

For the baby, not only massage will be very useful, but also classes with a special massage ball.

They are made at different ages:

At 3 months, you can shake the baby by placing the ball under the tummy.
Up to six months, you can roll sideways and back on the ball.
At six months, you can already sit on the ball and put the child on his feet.
At 10 months, the baby can walk under the supervision of an adult, using the ball as a walker.

Proper massage technique is the basis of a child's health. If the mother is not sure whether she is doing everything right, it is better to ask the doctor for advice. The main thing is to follow the regimen and ensure that the baby enjoys the exercises.

Every mother should be able to massage a baby. These are mandatory hygiene procedures that are carried out daily. The general importance of massage movements for the development of the baby is difficult to overestimate. At birth, the baby has full tactile sensitivity. But at the same time, many internal organs and systems are in a state of ongoing development. To help them develop correctly will help the correct methods of massaging the child.

These procedures are useful for relieving muscle hypertonicity, developing sensitivity, improving blood flow and lymph movement, preventing umbilical hernias, strengthening muscles, improving digestion, and hardening the baby.

General principles of massage for infants:

the procedure should begin with 10-15 minutes;
the child must be completely undressed;
massage is done on the hard surface of the changing table, which is covered;
hands should be lubricated with baby cream and remove all jewelry;
you need to monitor the child's body temperature - if the occipital region is warm, then cold fingers on the arms and legs are not taken into account;
talk during a massage with an infant;
increase the time of procedures gradually up to 30 minutes a day.

It is strictly forbidden to massage an infant if:

increase in body temperature;
digestive disorders;
immediately after feeding;
hernias around the umbilical ring;
irritations on the skin;
pustules;
colds.

Before you begin to constantly massage a baby, consult with a doctor who monitors his condition. Your baby may need special massage techniques to correct a particular condition.

Massage for newborns from what month can I start?

Many parents are wondering from what month you can start doing massage for newborns. In maternity wards, massage for healthy, full-term babies in combination with air baths is provided from the second day after birth. At home, after discharge, massage can be done as soon as the umbilical cord stump falls off. Until this time, it is not recommended to perform any manipulations with the child's body without sufficient experience. Wrong actions of parents can lead to the development of umbilical hernia in the future.

Therefore, wait until the umbilical wound is completely healed and start accustoming the baby to daily massage. In this case, the area around the umbilical ring should be massaged gradually, starting with the capture of the skin around it. Stimulation of skin nerve receptors will help increase the muscle tone of the white line of the abdomen and reduce the risk of umbilical hernia.

Practical techniques for massaging a child

Let's start massaging the baby. To do this, we warm the air in the room to 25-28 ° C. Be sure to wash your hands with baby soap, remove all jewelry. We warm our hands to body temperature. Carefully lay the baby on the changing table and gradually undress. It is best to do massage immediately after waking up the child from sleep and recovering his natural physiological needs.

When the child is undressed, begin to slowly stroke the feet in the direction from the big toe to the heel. It is recommended to carefully knead each finger. There are a large number of reflex points on the foot that stimulate the work of internal organs. Be sure to talk to the child during the procedures, tell him stories, go songs.

massage the legs with light stroking movements, in the direction from the foot to the inguinal region, avoiding touching the inner surface of the thigh and groin area;
straighten each leg of the child several times, lift the baby and try to put him on his legs, but at the same time keeping the weight of the body on your hands;
massage of the handles consists in stimulating the palms for unclenching and a grasping reflex - spread the child's palm, massage the fingers, provoke the child to grab your fingers. After that, by stroking and lightly patting, massage the inner and outer surfaces of the forearm, shoulder girdle;
turn the child on the tummy and massage the back, gluteal region with circular stroking movements clockwise and against it - avoid pressure on the spinal column and neck;
we complete the massage by turning the baby on its back and lightly stroking movements along the front chest wall, then place your palms on the baby’s tummy and gently knead it with soft circular motions.

How to massage the abdomen with colic?

In infants, at the time of birth, the digestive tract is in a state of ongoing development and restructuring for a new source of nutrition.

In this regard, specific problems can often arise, which are:

intestinal colic;
bloating;
violation of the act;
decrease in appetite.

You can help your baby with regular massage of the tummy. You can make a massage with colic only if you have accurate information about the absence of a congenital in a child. To do this, you need to consult a doctor.

In the absence of contraindications, massage of the tummy, laying the child on the stomach will help normalize the process of intestinal development and prevent the development of negative symptoms. If problems have already arisen, try to make a mass of the abdomen with colic. In some cases, this technique helps. For this:

bare the tummy and legs of the baby;
put the child on his back on a hard surface;
bend the child's legs several times, pulling the knees to the front of the abdomen;
in circular motions clockwise, massage first the upper abdomen, then the lower ones;
with gentle pressing movements, go along the entire course of the intestine - you should start from the right hypochondrium along the diaphragm, then going down and rising around the navel to the stomach area.

Repeat all these mass child techniques 3-5 times. Finish the procedure by laying the baby on the tummy for a few minutes. Combined with other treatments your doctor may suggest, this should help relieve colic and possible bloating.

Hi guys! With you Lena Zhabinskaya! Newborn massage is becoming more and more popular. In search of a good specialist who will conduct it, people turn to polyclinics, early development centers, private offices, finally. They believe that such manipulations with their baby will help him grow up faster.

But is everything so unambiguously good in this matter, or are there situations when there is more harm than good? Or such manipulations are contraindicated in principle? Let's find out today!

The fashion for massage has gone since the mothers, who actively practiced it, began to claim that it made their babies more calm and sociable. They started doing it almost from 0 months, arguing that it was during this period that the crumbs still have poorly developed auditory and visual receptors, as a result of which he perceives the world around him only through touch.

Regular gentle strokes allow him to really develop a stable emotional state - he is less capricious and crying. Massage is also an excellent prevention of many childhood diseases that can occur as a result of inconsistency in the work of internal organs and systems.

A good example of this is the gastrointestinal tract. How many mothers have experienced constipation in newborns? But it was a properly performed massage that helped many to solve this problem.

Moreover, gentle massage movements:

relieve tension and muscle hypertonicity;
eliminate increased excitability;
improve sleep;
contribute to the development of motor activity and affect posture, physical form.

In general, massage is incredibly useful for a newborn. The only time it can harm is the neglect of contraindications to it, as well as inviting an outsider to perform it. Then the baby is afraid, naughty,. But we will talk about this a little later.

Kinds

There are three types of massage by appointment. It happens:

medical;
treatment-and-prophylactic;
preventive.

Each of them has its own advantages and performance features. But first things first.

Massotherapy

It is easy to guess that it should be carried out exclusively by a specialist, and this is not surprising, because it helps to get rid of many ailments, namely:

hypotonicity, hypertonicity;
hip dysplasia;
torticollis;
asymmetries of muscle tone of the body and limbs;
congenital dislocation;
congenital and acquired clubfoot;
umbilical hernia;
leg deformities;
flat-valgus foot;
diseases of the central nervous system.

Treatment for all these diseases with the help of massage is carried out by different techniques. All of them are owned by a specialist who can help the baby. Positive results from his sessions are observed after a few days.

Therapeutic and prophylactic

This type of massage involves kneading the entire body, with special attention paid to problem areas. What could it be? Most often the tummy and respiratory organs. Therapeutic and prophylactic massage can be recommended for colic and disorders of the digestive system, diseases of the genitourinary system, bronchitis.

Due to the fact that it has its own subtleties and secrets, only a specialist can do such a massage. After several sessions of working with him, it is noted:

normalization of blood circulation;
improvement of the cardiovascular system;
elimination of defects in the muscular and skeletal systems.

A newborn, thanks to therapeutic and prophylactic massage, learns to quickly roll over on his stomach, crawl, sit down, stand on his feet, walk.

Prophylactic

The purpose of this massage is:

improvement of blood circulation and respiration;
improved metabolism and appetite;
normalization of sleep and behavior, which is especially important for excitable children.

Doctors also say that this type of massage helps to increase the child's immunity and protect him from many diseases in the future. And these are not empty words, but the results of their research. In one of them, scientists took the urine of newborns after the massage. The result showed a reduced amount of cortisol, or stress hormone, in her. But it is he who destroys the cells that are responsible for strong immunity, and involuntarily inhibits the development of the brain.

Another advantage of preventive massage is that it can be carried out at home by the parents themselves. Moreover, it is very important for the baby to establish close physical contact with them, which will make it possible to achieve future stability of the nervous system. In other words, a baby who regularly feels gentle gentle touches will be more calm, balanced and self-confident. At the same time, parents can do not only massage the whole body, but also its individual parts - the tummy, legs, arms.

Are there any contraindications

Doctors note that any of these types of massages can be performed by a specialist only if there are no contraindications. What is this about:

about high temperature (37.5 and above);
blood diseases;
tuberculosis of bones and joints;
severe form of rickets;
hepatitis;
limb injuries, open wounds and burns;
diseases of the genitourinary system in an acute form (pyelonephritis, cystitis);
skin ailments;
about the age of 1 month and earlier - at this time, massage can only do harm;
heart defects (although there may be exceptions, which are determined only by the doctor);
bleeding;
extensive inguinal or umbilical hernias;
hernias prone to infringement;
recent vaccination and upcoming.

Do not massage for colds, flu, SARS. The only exception to this rule is percussion massage, the purpose of which is to facilitate the discharge of sputum.

Tearfulness, capriciousness and the negative mood of the crumbs as a whole are also serious contraindications to massage. If it is inevitable, it is necessary to find out the reason for the child's bad mood, and then, having created a favorable background and improved it, proceed to implementation.

When Massage Is Necessary

In order not to blindly follow the fashion, it is necessary to understand the norm and the deviation from it. The latter are the main factors for the pediatrician and neurologist that testify in favor of the appointment of a massage. It is recommended if:

at the age of 1.5 - 2 months, the child does not or holds, but very poorly in the position on the tummy;
at 4 - 5 months, he does not try to roll over on his back or on his tummy;
at six months he does not try to sit down;
at 7 - 7.5 months, he still sits uncertainly, every now and then, falling to one side, arching his back in an arc;
at 8 - 9 months he cannot crawl and is not going to;
at 9 months does not want to get up on his own, holding on to a support;
can't even walk by the hand for a year.

All this indicates the presence of problems with muscle tone, which prevents him from comprehending something new and catching up with his peers in the development. Ideally, only a doctor can tell exactly which massage will help a particular child after an examination.

When asked at what age to start doing it, all experts confidently call 4 to 5 weeks. It is believed that at this time it is delayed, and the child finally adapts to the environment.

Meanwhile, most young parents tend to start massaging their babies at 3 months old. When contact with him has already been established, and he himself is cheerful and calm.

rules

How to properly massage a newborn? It turns out that you need to start it with preparation.

The room temperature in the room should be 21 - 22 degrees, and the room itself should be well ventilated.
When exactly can you start? All manipulations should be carried out no later than one hour before meals and no earlier than 1 hour after.
The masseur's hands should be warm. All jewelry must be removed.
It is necessary to lay the baby only on a hard, warm surface.
For massaging healthy babies, additional moisturizers are not needed.
The optimal duration of sessions is 5-10 minutes with a slight gradual increase in time.

Who should do

It is quite possible for the parents themselves to perform therapeutic and prophylactic and preventive massages directly after a detailed study of the special literature and consultation of a specialist. This option has a number of undoubted advantages:

the child is not afraid and enjoys contact with his beloved mom and dad;
you perform massage at any time and place convenient for you;
you control the strength and intensity of the manipulations and can interrupt them at any time;
it's absolutely free.

If you prefer to invite a specialist, carefully monitor the reaction of the crumbs to a stranger. If the little one is frightened, screams and cries, such a massage will do more harm than good.

The child's psyche is arranged in such a way that he feels his mother keenly and is extremely rarely ready to make close contact with strangers.

For a visiting specialist, in most cases, your child is just a job to be done quickly in order to rush to the next little client, and there is no extra time for establishing contact and calming down.

The stress received by a baby during a painful massage performed by someone else's aunt can adversely affect the formation of a healthy psyche of a newborn. After all, as you know, all problems come from childhood.

Therefore, if you have such a desire, do not be lazy, learn simple techniques and massage the child yourself.

Techniques and tricks

For newborns aged 1-3 months, force movements are not used. Only light strokes and kneading are allowed.

After that, the baby can be stroked all over the body.

It is important to know: in children aged 1 - 3 months, do not massage the area of the elbow, armpit, inner thigh, under the knee, as well as the fontanel.

After the permission of the doctor, you can massage the hip joint. It consists in preliminary stroking this zone, as well as performing the “Toad” exercise, when the legs are spread apart.

If you wish, you should try the ball. The baby is laid on its surface and shaken, holding.

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