The Effect of Infant Massage on Infant Growth, Mother-Infant Attachment, and Maternal Self-Confidence

The sense of touch is the most developed sense in newborns and is very important in perceiving the environment. The sense of touch in newborn babies is well developed throughout the body, especially on the tongue, lips, ears and forehead. When the baby is touched and held, he communicates with his environment and caregiver, and begins to recognize his environment. The sense of touch also positively affects the psychosocial development of babies. Infant massage is the best way to touch the baby. In recent years, research on infant massage has been the focus of the literature. When the literature is examined; it is seen that the positive effects of baby massage that support the growth and development of babies are proven by scientific research.

Attachment is defined as a situation that begins with the birth of the baby and has a predominant emotional aspect. The basic sense of trust formed between the mother and the baby in the early stages of life supports the psychosocial development of the baby. Touch, which is an effective method in providing and developing the interaction between the baby and the mother, affects the attachment positively. Infant massage is one of the easiest and most natural ways to develop mother-infant attachment. Studies show that infant massage strengthens the attachment between mothers and babies.

Baby massage also increases the mother's self-confidence in baby care. In the postpartum period, parents enter a new period in which they have to adapt to new roles, deal with baby care and the problems they experience with the baby. This period can sometimes cause problems such as lack of self-confidence, stress, anxiety and fear in mothers. The fear, anxiety and stress experienced by mothers regarding infant care can negatively affect mother-infant attachment. When the studies were examined, it was reported that the self-confidence score of the mothers who massaged was higher than the mothers in the control group in the study of with low birth weight babies and their mothers. In the qualitative study, mothers who apply baby massage defined massage as "a relaxing practice that provides emotional and physical contact with their babies". In addition, mothers stated that massage increased their self-confidence regarding the role of motherhood.

A newborn baby is born with about 100 billion neurons. Connections begin to form between neurons in the brain, especially in the first year after birth. While connections are formed with the warnings and experiences they receive throughout their lives; Neurons that do not receive enough stimulation die because they cannot make new connections. In babies who are given positive stimuli, intercellular connections are intense and their intelligence levels are positively affected. During the first two years of life, the rate of development of connections between neurons is quite high. Infant massage applied in these years contributes to the strengthening of the nervous system. The brain development of babies who are deprived of physical contact is adversely affected. Therefore, touch is an indispensable element in both the physical growth and development of the baby and the brain development.

In Turkey, no training is given on infant massage in family health centers. However, the positive effects of massage on babies and mothers have been demonstrated by scientific research. The role of nurses in mother-infant interaction is very important, making applications that support mother-infant interaction in the postpartum period and guiding mothers in this process is an important nursing practice. While nurses are training mothers, they should provide infant massage training within infant care routines, counsel mothers on infant massage and encourage them.