As A Bonding Technique, Infant Massage Makes A Positive Impression On Babies And Parents Alike -- Comfort And Joy

The colorful quilt is spread on the floor, a window closed to keep the room hothouse warm. A lullaby tape plays softly.

Kelly Degala gently places his daughter Ariel on her back on the quilt. One year old, with electric hair and a pleased-with-the-world disposition, Ariel looks up expectantly, awaiting the familiar ritual.

Mom Kirsti Mittag-Degala rubs some baby massage oil into her hands. "We begin with the legs," she explains, gently squeezing and twisting first one, then the other. "This is `Indian milking,' good for circulation, and it works stress out of the legs."

She progresses to some of the other techniques, including the "I love you," pressing the hands to spell out I, L, U on the tummy ("this is supposed to be good for a colicky baby, although Ariel hasn't been colicky"); the "open book," moving the hands on her chest as if smoothing the pages of a book; and stroking her little feet ("this is especially good if the baby has a cold or illness").

When Ariel's squirms let Mom know she's ready to switch to more active play, Kirsti stops the massage, because "it's important to respect your baby."

Since Ariel was born, her parents have used the technique of infant massage as a way to comfort and bond with her.

Kirsti, 35, a stay-at-home mom, and Kelly, 32, executive chef at Cafe Sport, took four hours of private instruction from Kathleen Rose-Marie, a local infant-massage instructor. The lessons were a baby gift from a friend.

Other new parents are picking up the techniques in classes, videos and books.

Local instructors say that, though infant massage may seem the latest fad of the thirtysomething parent, it's actually a combination of long-established techniques, many derived from ancient practices, from China, India, Japan and Sweden.

Not surprisingly, now that infant massage is becoming a hit in the modern West, various studies are under way to document its therapeutic value. Some practitioners make greater claims than others - such as saying baby massage promotes motor development and improves growth for hospitalized infants. Others say it's premature, given the present state of knowledge, to make such claims, but that there's no doubt of its positive psychological effects.

"We're not going to make a smarter baby; I think it's very beneficial as long as no claims are made that it will make your child walk faster or roll over sooner," says Janet Whalley, administrator director of the Childbirth Education Association of Seattle, and a childbirth educator and nurse.

"It's fun for the parents and feels great for the baby, and it's fine as long as you're cautious," says Whalley. Being cautious includes making sure the baby is warm enough and knowing the signs of chill, being gentle, and starting out slowly with newborns, she says.

Lee Bossung-Sweeney, clinical nurse specialist at Children's Hospital and Medical Center, says most scientific research so far has focused on the sick infant, and the jury is still out when it comes to such children. "It's very controversial; some people say it's the hottest thing since sliced bread. Some studies have shown that if babies were massaged every day they seemed to grow and gain more weight, but other variables are so numerous, who's to say? Now some neonatalists are saying it isn't good for all (sick) kids, some find it overstimulating."

At Children's, some of the nurses have been trained in the techniques, and will use it for some hospitalized babies in their fussy periods. "They do it on babies they've been working with for months, after they try other approaches, such as swaddling, music."

But for normal babies, she says, the advantages are clear. "Skin-to-skin contact in whatever form, between a parent and a baby, is very healthy. . . . It promotes bonding. If we had more of that gentle sort of touch in the world, I think people would be a little different."

Again, speaking about normal babies, massage is an especially helpful outlet for fathers who want to approximate the kind of closeness that the mother has through breast-feeding, says Rhona Feldman, a Seattle infant-massage instructor and pediatric occupational therapist.

"It gives them a set routine they can follow that they know is enjoyable to their child, and also helps them make a real physical contact with their child."

Dad Kelly Degala, for one, agrees. He'll often massage Ariel's feet and arms while he's reading to her after a long day at work, appreciating that the massage keeps her interacting with him longer. "I'll do anything to keep her attention."

Asked what is the best age for parents to begin infant massage, various instructors say anywhere from birth to a month old. Rose-Marie notes that every baby is an individual, and some tolerate more touch and earlier touch than others, so parents should always be attuned to their baby's cues.

The parent should start slowly and gradually build up to a full massage.

When the babies reach the crawling stage, they're more focused on movement and don't much want to stay still. After 10 months or so, they're usually ready for longer massages again.

Older children may enjoy certain of the massage techniques; with a growing sense of privacy they may prefer certain variations, such as a back rub, suggests video instructor Klinger.

Instructors say about 15 minutes of massaging a baby is usually plenty. Pick a time, says Feldman, when the child is calm and in an interactive kind of mood, and a time the parents are relaxed too. "You want to make sure you're not transferring your stress onto the baby!"

A good time for many parents, she suggests, is after an evening bath, when the baby already is undressed and in the warm bathroom - then can go right to sleep afterward. "It's a nice evening routine."

Perhaps the best thing of all about infant massage, says Wesson, may be that it helps parents carve out a time for parent and child to share a quiet, enjoyable time together. Rather than a chore - another thing to squeeze in or feel guilty about - most parents find the massage sessions soothe them, too.

Kirsti concurs. "I find it really relaxing. It makes me feel so good to be making my baby feel comfortable and happy."

---------------------------------------------------- RESOURCES TO HELP WITH THE LAYING ON OF LOVING HANDS ----------------------------------------------------

Local infant massage instructors:

-- Rhona Feldman, certified instructor, International Association of Infant Massage Instructors, pediatric occupational therapist. Private or group instruction, three to five sessions. Private instruction also available for massaging disabled children up to 3 years. Phone: 781-0342.

-- Kathleen Rose-Marie, certified instructor, International Association of Infant Massage Instructors. $60 for five-week session; private lessons also available. Phone: 632-2586.

-- Wendy Wesson, licensed massage therapist and psychotherapist. Two-hour class, maximum eight families per class, $15. Phone: Evergreen Hospital, 821-1111 (ask for family-maternity education department).

Books:

Two recommended by the Birth and Life Bookstore:

-- "Infant Massage, a Handbook for Loving Parents," by Vimala McClure, $7.95, Bantam Books, New York, 1989. Easy-to-follow step-by-step guide, with photographs.

-- "The Baby Massage Book," by Tina Heinl, $16.95, Coventure Ltd., London, 1982. Another how-to, this one based on Indian massage, with illustrations rather than photographs. Ring-bound, so lays flat for easy "doing while reading."

Videos:

-- "The Gift of Baby Massage" is a 35-minute instructional video that is balanced and easy to follow. Features Rebecca Klinger, a certified infant-massage instructor and pregnancy and infancy massage therapist licensed in New York, and Dr. Max Kahn, co-director of the Pediatric Behavior Clinic at New York University's Bellevue Hospital. Price: $22.

-------------------------------- THE RIGHT TOUCH: SOME TECHNIQUES --------------------------------

Keeping the hand flat, move it in clockwise circles on the baby's tummy from below the ribs to the bikini line. This is best done on a naked baby; always use a pure vegetable oil, not baby oil.

"This is good for colicky babies or babies with indigestion (it releases the gas). Have diapers handy. It works!"

- Rhona Feldman, local certified massage instructor and pediatric occupational therapist.

These two techniques can be used on a clothed baby (say, one who's acting cranky while you're standing in the grocery checkout line):

-- Leg and arm squeezing: Gently squeeze and release, slowly and rhythmically.

-- Back massage: Pick up the baby and hold him over your shoulder, massaging in round circles on either side of the spine.

- from Rebecca Klinger's video, "The Gift of Baby Massage."