UM researcher pioneered massaging premature infants to stimulate growth 11-4-14, Miami Herald Neonatal touch therapy is used in about 40 percent of neonatal intensive care units nationwide and results in a savings of about $10,000 per infant — $4.7 billion annually nationwide — by shortening hospital stays by nearly a week for premature babies. “Pressure to the skin stimulates brain activity, slows down heart rate, lowers blood pressure, allows for a deeper sleep, makes the babies less irritable and ultimately helps mental development and physical growth,” said Tiffany Field, professor of pediatrics, psychology and psychiatry and director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami’s Mailman Center for Child Development. Studies have shown that touch therapy increases weight gain on average, by 47 percent, compared with babies left alone in their incubators. Studies also have found that massage boosts development of circulatory, muscular and neurological systems, and increases communication and intimacy between baby and parent. “Touch therapy shouldn’t be used for premature infants exclusively, but for all children with different conditions,” Field said. She has treated more than a hundred babies and recently received a $75,000 grant from Johnson & Johnson to teach mothers how to perform touch therapy on their own babies. Read more here: miamiherald/living/health-fitness/article3556835.html#storylink=cpy
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 19:50:58 +0000