Pediatric Touch Research/Pediatric Massage Benefits:
Pediatric massage provides benefits to the child and improves their family's satisfaction with the care their child receives. This compassionate care can also contribute to a positive healing environment, which has been shown to improve the satisfaction of members of the health care team.
The physical, psychological and emotional benefits of touch for infants, children and pediatric and pediatric patients who are hospitalized have been well documented in published research studies.
Many health care providers have explored the use of massage for particular populations of children with special health care needs. Overall, the evidence that massage provides global benefits to a child's healh far outweights any evidence of negative effects.
The following benefits have been documented in research findings:
Some studies also show that infants diagnosed woth complex medical conditions may find greater benefit from the intervention of massage therapy.
For Children with Special Health Needs:
Parents also report that they themselves had benefites by the feeling closer to their child, feeling less stress and anxiety, and feeling empowered to provide touch therapy as part of the healing process of their child.