A child cries during a massage: probable causes and ways to switch the baby’s attention

Massage for children under one year old - is it necessary?

If you want to improve your child's health, he needs to have regular massages. This is possible not only at home, but also in a children's clinic or with a professional massage therapist. If the procedure is carried out correctly, it is possible to strengthen the child’s musculoskeletal system, normalize blood circulation and strengthen muscle tone.
The main advantage of massage for a child under one year old is tactile sensations, thanks to which the child’s brain functions better develop.
Most scientists are convinced that children who are frequently touched by others develop faster. During physical contact, myelin , the main component of nerve fibers, is formed in the child’s body.
The more often a child experiences tactile contact with adults, the better his mood and behavior will be. If at an early age the baby is not given enough attention, then in adulthood this can become one of the main reasons for self-doubt and reduced resistance to stress.

Massage scheme for children under one year old

Children's massage therapist Northern Administrative District Northern District Tatyana Alekseevna Ledneva

Experience since 1977

education (medical)

About the massage therapist Tatyana is a children's massage therapist with extensive experience. Over many years of work in a children's clinic, Tatyana has enriched her experience in treating various, including very complex children's health problems

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Beneficial properties of massage for children under one year old

Children under one year old can receive a regular wellness massage to maintain the condition of the body.

If you send your baby to a professional for a wellness massage for up to a year, you can completely eliminate some diseases, including:

joint dysplasia in the hip area;
congenital hip dislocation;
irregular foot shape;
inguinal hernia;
defects in the spine;
umbilical hernia;
hypertonicity;
muscle spasms;
hypotonicity.

Therapeutic massage should be carried out by an experienced specialist and as prescribed by a doctor. If parents decide to carry out the procedure on their own, they may worsen the child’s condition.

The peculiarity of the massage is that the impulses that pass from the skin are sent to the cerebral cortex. This has a positive effect on the nervous system, increasing the tone of the body.

This is very useful for the baby

In particular, this has a pleasant effect on the functioning of organs and systems, and the following occurs:

Improving the functioning of the heart and blood vessels. Blood circulation is normalized.
Strengthening the digestive system. If the procedure is carried out correctly, you can correct your body weight.
Normalization of the respiratory system.
Strengthening the excretory function of the glands.
Strengthening the musculoskeletal system. The muscles work better and the condition of the joints improves.
Normalization of sleep quality.
Improved skin appearance. The skin becomes more resistant to external influences.
Normalization of the nervous system.

Types of massage for children under one year old

If you want to massage a child under one year old, first decide on the most common types. Each of them helps in solving a particular problem. Therapeutic massage for children is necessary if there are pathological diseases. It must be prescribed by a doctor - neurologist, orthopedist or surgeon . Therapeutic massage is contraindicated for newborn children. It is recommended to do it from 3 months of age.
If you need to consolidate the results obtained from therapeutic massage, a corrective type is prescribed. It should be carried out by an experienced specialist who will not harm the child. Another popular type is preventive massage. It is prescribed if you need to strengthen the baby’s muscle tissue. In addition, the procedure helps strengthen the protective functions of the entire body. This type of massage can be performed by parents, but it is better to use the services of professionals.
The slightest wrong movement can cause difficulties in physiology. If the child is under one year old, hypertonicity may be observed in the area of the arms and legs. At the beginning of a baby's life, it is necessary to take care of relaxing the flexor muscles. The duration of the massage is 10 minutes.
Starting from 4 months of age, you can do a massage that will strengthen the muscles of the arms and legs. Particular attention is paid to the palms and fingers. This will accelerate speech development and improve motor skills. Some pediatricians are convinced that at this age it is optimal to do gymnastics. It is better to consult a specialist who will show you the optimal and safe exercises. The duration of the session can be increased to 20 minutes if this does not cause discomfort to the baby.

Massage should be comprehensive

What to do if a child cries during a massage?

Parents must help the child adapt to this situation. To do this, the following rules must be observed:

Find a good specialist who will not convince you that crying during a massage is the norm. A true professional must love children and try to please them. At the first meeting, he is obliged to establish contact with the child.
Choose the optimal time . A mother should know her baby's daily routine. The session should be carried out only during those hours when he is awake and playing. The child will be restless if he is hungry or wants to sleep.
Feeling good . Sessions should be carried out only when the baby feels great. If his nose is stuffy, his stomach hurts, his body temperature has risen, or his teeth are cutting, it is better to postpone any activities for a while.
You need to distract the baby . Mom should be nearby, calm him down, sing songs, distract him with bright toys or colorful pictures in books. The mother's voice will calm the child. You can even build a kind of screen so that he cannot see the massage therapist, but only sees his mother.

If none of these methods help, and the child continues to cry, then you should change the massage therapist. If we are talking about a restorative massage, then the sessions are stopped for 2-3 months so that the baby grows up. You cannot refuse therapeutic massage.

Massage for children under one year old: massage techniques

If you decide to massage your child under one year old on your own, use the techniques described below. The most common method is stroking . It will prepare the baby's skin for further massage. In addition, this technique improves blood circulation and relaxes muscles. Try to smoothly stroke the baby with your palm in the lymphatic direction.

Stroking

The second common technique is rubbing . It helps reduce increased tone, improve blood circulation and calm the nervous system. Rubbing helps warm up the muscles and tendons
so that further stages of the massage are more effective.
The procedure should be carried out in a clockwise direction, using 3 fingers or the entire palm.
Another popular technique among massage therapists is kneading . The procedure is carried out using three fingers (index, middle and ring) . Movements must be progressive or circular. With this technique you can reduce swelling and improve blood circulation.
An equally common type of massage is vibration . They help normalize body tone. In addition, the intake has an antispasmodic and analgesic effect, which has a positive effect on the child’s well-being. Try to make intense movements, but they should not injure the baby.

Three myths about baby massage

1) Massage can’t do any harm/there’s never too much massage. Massage to a child under one year old in “courses” is a medical procedure that must have indications.

Saying that a massage cannot harm is the same as saying that an iron cannot burn through fabric. If it’s cold, it can’t, but it doesn’t smooth it out either. We don't use this type of iron. And if it’s hot, it smooths out, but it can burn if you overdo it.

Example. I am now seeing another child who has undergone a massage course. Reduced muscle tone. They reduced it, not paying attention to the fact that the increased tone was a compensatory reaction of the child. Everything rested on it, through it the child avoided chaotic movements and with its help developed his skills.

What led to: disinhibition, difficulty sleeping and going to bed, frequent emotional overexcitation. Great job. Parents paid money for the deterioration of the child's condition. And the most important thing is that now we need to let him live through this situation, wait until the child begins to gain tone again, and have time to turn on at this moment. Now parents are following the recommendations to increase tone. The child needs tone, and he will return it. If it doesn’t, it will remain hypermotor, which will lead to difficulties maintaining attention.

2) Improving blood circulation in the skin and tissues is beneficial . A child's skin has 1.5 times more capillaries per square centimeter than an adult's. The skin area per kilogram of weight in an adult relative to a newborn child is approximately 1:2. Massage opens the capillaries and fills them with blood. Taking into account the ratio of the size of the massage therapist's hand and the child's body, it turns out that a significantly larger area is simultaneously captured relative to the entire area of the body. Physiological changes are not comparable to changes in an adult with the same procedure.

This is an immediate effect that goes away after a few minutes, but it can be compared to working out in a fitness room. What is a pleasant procedure for us is a powerful burden for the child. I cannot understand why a child needs a general massage. Why not massage only those areas that are currently in an active state.

Example. In the first months of life (at best, only in the first), most children have digestive problems. Colic, gas, pain. The child is restless, the mother does not get enough sleep. Doesn't let me massage my stomach: it hurts. This situation can be solved by massaging the thighs. Segment massage techniques help avoid massaging a painful abdomen and at the same time improve intestinal motility, remove gases, and cope with constipation. Without pain, without powerful physiological changes, achieve the desired result.

3) Massage works with the child's body. No, massage also works with the child’s personality and participates in the formation of character.

It's better to see it once. Watch the video and I'll comment. In this short video you will see “what is good and what is bad.”

In the first part there are real “horror stories”, and not with a doll, but with a living child. I have already described all the harm caused by such actions. For me this is violence.

The second part is about how to do it. How to teach a rollover from back to stomach. The child became interested, thought and only then took the action . In the meantime, he can't control his legs, he gets a little help. Just do this a few times and the baby will roll over on its own. This is professionalism.

The third part of the video is exercises on the ball performed by the Master. Pay attention to the child's left hand. He initially put it clenched in his fist. By gently rocking up and down at a slow pace, the instructor created additional sensations in the hand, and then moved the ball forward a little. The child immediately opened his hand. Myself. Trust my experienced opinion: at the moment when the child lifts his left hand from the ball, it is clearly visible that his tone is slightly increased in his hand. This is professionalism.

It may seem that I am against massage. This is wrong. I have great respect for massage and gymnastics. I know their capabilities and strength. I simply recommend that before contacting a specialist, you should evaluate it impartially.

Principles of massage for children under one year old

There are several rules for baby massage . It is prohibited to perform the procedure if the child is under 2 months old. This can negatively affect the further formation of the body. Try to stick to a specific time. It is best if you massage every day at the same time. It is advisable to start the session 1 hour after a meal or half an hour before a meal. The duration can vary from 5 to 25 minutes, depending on the child’s condition.

It is important to consider the rules

If a child is getting a massage for the first time, 5 minutes will be enough. The duration of the session should be increased gradually so that it does not cause discomfort to the baby. Prepare the room before the procedure. First, you need to ventilate it for 30 minutes. Then normalize the temperature. It should be between 20°C and 25°C.
Place the baby on a flat, hard surface (you can use a changing table), which you have previously disinfected and covered with a diaper. Choose wider surfaces to make it easier to turn your baby over. Before the baby massage procedure, the “client” needs to be washed. The massage therapist's hands should be clean and warm. Nails will also need to be trimmed to avoid scratching your baby. It is not recommended to use talc or petroleum jelly during the session Such products clog the baby's skin.
While working, do not make sudden movements or speak loudly. This may scare the baby. If he begins to act up, stop the massage. The procedure can be resumed only after the “little client” has calmed down.

Movements during massage should be in the direction of the blood vessels - from bottom to top, from the periphery to the central part. If you massage your belly, avoid the liver area. It is also not recommended to massage the inner thighs, elbows and genitals. If you massage your back, do not make patting movements in the kidney area.

Massage for children up to one year - price

The cost of massage for children under one year old cannot be determined accurately. This depends on several factors. The high cost of therapeutic and corrective massage. The regular type is considered the most budget option. The price also depends on the age of the child. The older the baby, the more expensive the procedure will cost.
The price is also affected by the qualifications of the specialist, the number of sessions required and the level of the clinic. If you are uncomfortable constantly going to the hospital, you can call a specialist at home. But, this will significantly increase the cost of services. Average price 1300-1500 rubles.

The cost depends on many factors.
High-quality massage implies comfort for the child. Therefore, it is better to refrain from the procedure if the baby is restless or unwell. Try to adhere to the basic rules of massage so that the child feels comfortable and pleasant.

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