Probably, there are no parents who would not want their children to grow up happy and healthy. Moms and dads are well aware of how great importance for the health of their little children have sunlight, air, proper nutrition, pure water, adult care. However, they do not always fully understand the importance physical activity, especially if we are talking about children of the first year of life.

Often, mothers are happy when their baby lies calmly in the cradle or sits in the playpen, sorting through toys. They do not understand that limited movement can have an extremely adverse effect on a child's health. Compensate for this lack of mobility can special classes, massage, gymnastics.

Baby massage up to a year: benefits and significance

Firstly, massage contributes to the development of all organs and systems, strengthening the entire child's body. This has an impact on:

  • Musculoskeletal system

Muscle tone is normalized, hypo- and hypertonicity of muscles disappears, problems of feet turned inside and out, insufficient dilution in the hip joint of the legs, and clubfoot are solved. Improves motor skills in babies. The child quickly learns to sit down, crawl, stand up, walk.

  • Cardiovascular system

Muscle-directed action and rapid breathing contribute to an increase in heart rate. At the same time, the heart muscle remains in good shape, the pulse normalizes and stabilizes, which also has a very positive effect on children's health.

  • respiratory system

Manipulation movements enhance ventilation and development of the lungs, as a result of which their protective functions against the effects of infectious pathogens and external factors are strengthened.

  • Skin

The delicate and sensitive skin of babies is very easily damaged. Children's massage (Pictures, allowing you to learn how to do it correctly at home, can be found on our website) increases the firmness and elasticity of the skin, prevents the appearance of a rash on it.

  • blood microcirculation

Turns out positive influence on the bloodstream, the cells are saturated with oxygen and nutrients many times faster.

Secondly, if the massage is carried out by parents, then exercises in , accompanied by gentle touches of mother's or father's hands, not only bring pleasure to the baby, but also make him stronger emotional connection with parents, grandparents.

Who and where can massage a child

Professional children's masseurs can be found in almost any medical institution. You can sign up for a massage course at the clinic or invite a specialist to your home. However, parents of older children are looking for opportunities to “combine business with pleasure” and send their children to kindergartens staffed by an experienced massage therapist.

Having a specialist in kindergarten relieves parents of the need to spend time on daily visits to a medical institution, and also allows you to protect your child from the risk of infection with a variety of in the clinic. Masseurs in preschool institutions often have extensive experience. Hundreds of children pass through their hands, so they are well versed in the most different types manipulations. Plus to everything massage in kindergarten, in most cases, is a free procedure, which is also good news.

In preschool institutions, both general strengthening procedures and corrective massages can be carried out. In the first case, manipulations can be carried out even without any special medical indications and supplemented with physiotherapy exercises. All these actions are designed to strengthen the child's body, improve its development.

In kindergartens for children with special needs, the main goal of classes is not only to general development, but also in addition, strengthening the complex treatment of a certain . From masseurs, in this case, it is required higher level professionalism.

Children's massage at home

Undoubtedly, massotherapy should be entrusted exclusively to specialists in their field. However, with general strengthening manipulations, any mother can also cope.

Children's massage at home can be started already from the age of 1.5 months of the child. It is recommended to choose a time for this between feedings, when the baby is not hungry and nothing bothers him. The following types of movements are used in massage:

  • Stroking

With the help of strokes, the mother prepares the skin of the child for more active influences and relaxes his muscles.

  • Rubbing

The movements in this case are slightly more intense than with stroking, and are carried out with the fingertips in a straight line or in a spiral.

  • kneading

Tong-like kneading involves an energetic and at the same time delicate grip of the muscles with three fingers.

  • vibrating

From the first months of life, shaking is allowed, and closer to a year, gentle tapping with fingertips or the back side.

Parents who want to massage their child at home should definitely look into this issue in more detail. Irina Semenovna collected special methods of classes in her book Krasikova. Children's massage, gymnastics, proposed in this manual, take into account the specifics of the psychomotor development of children, from the first days of life to the age of three. Separately, the author considers the features of classes with children born and / or suffering from diseases, the treatment of which differs in duration and is impossible without the participation of parents.

Children's massage in combination with physiotherapy exercises or gymnastics is a guarantee of a full-fledged physical and mental development baby. Do not hesitate, working with specialists, supplemented by the efforts of the mother, will help your child grow up as a healthy and harmonious personality!

Good luck everyone, see you in the next article.

By massaging your baby, you get an invaluable opportunity to acquire a close bond between you and your child. Gentle, relaxing massage makes your child calm and helps him fall asleep quickly. In addition, these are invaluable minutes that provide moments of communication for you and your family members with the baby. After learning all about baby massage, you will be able to pamper your baby and take care of him to the fullest.

Recent studies prove that baby massage is very useful and brings a lot of health to the child, helping him to develop. A close spiritual connection is created between the mother and the baby during the massage. After all, the baby first months learns the world through touch. By learning the basics of baby massage and consistently massaging the baby’s body, you will deliver to him great joy and care. And your baby will answer you with love.

Choose the right time

By choosing the right time for a massage, you will completely concentrate the baby’s attention on you and get good mood child. It is important to perform these procedures at the same time. Before and after eating, massage is not recommended. The best time for a massage is in the morning, when the child is fresh and alert, and in the evening, before going to bed. As a rule, the massage lasts no more than 15-20 minutes. But, if the child likes it, then the time can be increased. By doing daily massage in accordance with the selected program, you allow the child to be healthy and enjoy your touch.

Attention and comfort

In second place after the right time is comfort. You will do the right thing if you put the baby on a soft towel or sheet. First, you make gentle massaging movements of the tummy, arms, neck and face, and then, turning the child over, massage his back and back of his legs. The temperature in the room should be comfortable for the baby, and the light should be soft and subdued. Nothing should distract or annoy the child during such procedures. You can talk to the baby, sing songs to him. You can also put on pleasant relaxing music and enjoy communicating with each other.

It is important to understand the child and how he reacts to your massaging movements. Newborns can comfortably receive massages for short periods of time, while older children enjoy prolonged massages. Look at the reaction of the child and continue the massage as long as he likes it.

Massage for your baby with massage oil

Massage oil has many positive aspects during such procedures, as it provides calm and comfortable movements. With this addition, the massage time can be increased, because the mother's hands, lubricated with massage oil, become soft, and the movements are pleasant for the baby. The child likes this, but this plays important role. It is necessary to select such oil on the basis of natural ingredients. No chemistry! It will be great if a little lavender, vanilla or lemon is added to the oil. Since you are massaging the entire body of the child, including the face and fingers of the hands and feet, and he has a habit of tasting everything in the first months of life, the ingredients must be edible. Massage oil can be purchased ready-made in a store or pharmacy, or you can prepare this composition with your own hands. But for this, you must be sure that all components are safe.

Starting the massage, lubricate the hands with a small amount of oil and begin to lightly massage the baby's hands in a circular motion, gradually moving to the chest. Massage the tummy in a circle to the right and left, keeping the movements soft. Next, go to the legs, and then massage the back of the child in the same sequence, after turning it over. The whole procedure should take place in a pleasant environment and give pleasure to both you and the baby.

Veronika Dosanova

Young mothers who bring their babies to the clinic for routine preventive examinations are usually not familiar with the massage technique. Massage manipulations are very useful for a baby in the first year of life. It was during this period that the foundations of his health were laid. The editors of the site will tell parents what they need to know about baby massage.

Everyone has heard about the benefits of massage, but children's massage is somewhat different from an adult, and not everyone knows the nuances of its implementation. To independently massage a baby at home, you need to know its subtleties.

Do not interfere with the study of specialized literature with detailed instructions and expert advice. However, it is desirable that a professional massage a child in the first year of life, since only a professional massage therapist can know exactly which procedures are indicated for a particular baby.

Not every mother, starting to massage her baby, is sure that she is doing everything right. In addition, the child can twist, arch, act up, interfering with the procedures. You need to know on which parts of the body to make more efforts, and on which - less, how much time is allotted for massage, what types of manipulations are used to make the child pleasant and useful.

Massage is not easy pleasant emotions, This preventive measures from various diseases and strengthening the body of the child. Massage movements have a positive effect on the physical and psycho-emotional development of the baby.

So, what do you need to know about baby massage? First, his positive action. Every baby needs a massage. Stimulating the work of all systems, massage manipulations improve the mood of the child, relax and tone up. For each child, they are selected individually.

For hyperactive, restless kids with increased tone muscles use relaxation techniques. For sedentary children, tonic manipulations will be useful. Children who are regularly massaged get sick less, feel more alert and are not as susceptible to various viruses.

In addition, massage treatments have a positive effect on work. digestive system, are preventive measures at various violations posture and musculoskeletal system. Massage helps maintain physical form, promotes rapid recovery after suffering rickets.

During massage procedures, the central nervous system. Classical stroking, rubbing, warm-up movements and vibration act through the skin and nerve receptors. As a result of these manipulations, the problem is solved speech development, the baby's sleep improves, the problems of eating disorders are eliminated, the body as a whole is stimulated. Usually a baby massage is done for 30 minutes. Classically, the number of prescribed procedures is 10 sessions, but recommendations are individual for each child. Best Option- from smaller to larger, gradually increasing the duration of the massage, then the child's body will be able to adapt to the gradual increase in emotional and physical influences. Each movement must be done very carefully.

Special attention when massage should be given to the condition of the child. If the baby is sick or not in the mood, then the procedure should be postponed. The massage therapist must be well aware of the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the baby's body, then massage manipulations will be effective and useful.

There are a number of contraindications to massage. These include viral diseases, infections, fever, skin inflammatory processes, allergies, hernias in a child. If the baby did not get enough sleep, wants to eat, is sick or has no mood, then massage procedures should not be carried out.

best time for massage - morning or afternoon. Massage manipulations can be started an hour after eating. Before going to bed, it is undesirable to do the procedures. It is important to perform all the exercises correctly, focusing on the condition of the baby. For children under one year old, it is better that massage manipulations are performed by a massage therapist who knows all the intricacies of children's massage.

How to distinguish a professional? A masseur specializing in children's massage must love children. This is a mandatory and paramount condition. good specialist in his work it is immediately clear: he will be able to calm crying baby, explain to mom all the nuances of the massage. After the procedures, the baby is satisfied, his tone rises, his mood improves.

You can learn how to massage yourself, but it should be borne in mind that in different periods of the first year of life, massage techniques change. Only a professional can know the features of a baby's development, so up to a year it is better to entrust massage to him.

After a series of massage procedures, the child's general condition noticeably improves. The baby becomes calm, balanced, falls asleep easily, becomes less capricious, his appetite improves, muscles strengthen, the whole body hardens.

For independent massage procedures, it is necessary to take into account several key points:

Monitor the mood of the baby and his condition;

Massage with tenderness and love;

During massage manipulations, oils or creams should not be used so as not to cause allergic reactions in the baby;

Wear comfortable clothes, remove all jewelry, cut your nails so as not to inadvertently scratch the skin of the child;

Wash your hands well and warm them;

Do massage on a hard surface, on which a thin blanket is laid, in a ventilated and lit room at an air temperature of at least 22ºС;

You need to start with simple movements, gradually complicating and supplementing them, increasing the duration of the procedure;

You can not make sudden movements, all manipulations should be gentle and give the child pleasure;

Do not go out with the child to fresh air immediately after the massage, at least half an hour should pass;

The baby should not be left unattended!

Good luck!

From all of the above, we can conclude that massage has a therapeutic and prophylactic effect, helps babies develop. Massage is especially useful for weakened, often ill children.