The Effects of Infant Massage on the Physical Development of Baby in Indonesian Rural Areas

Infant massage has been a long time and common practice, yet investigating this technique in the academic context is still rarely done. Mother in fact plays an important role in ensuring the effectiveness of infant massage, and therefore she is required to learn about it. This research attempts to find out the effects of infant massage training and education on the infant's physical development for mother in rural areas in Indonesia. This study was designed to compare two groups, namely, the first group of 17 mothers with infant massage education and training intervention since the third trimester, and the second group of 17 mothers without intervention. Body weight, body length, circumference of the upper arms, suckling frequency and suckling duration of the babies in the two groups were compared one month after delivery. One month after the group of mothers giving massage to their babies, there were significant differences (p < 0.05) in body weight, body length, suckling frequency of the babies in the two groups, while none for circumference of upper arms and suckling duration. Comparing the effects of massage on babies before and after giving infant massage, there were significant differences in suckling durations and body weight of the babies. Our study suggests that, after receiving an education on infant massage, mothers with babies are recommended to give massage to their babies. Infant massage brings various benefits to the babies, and it can be performed in natural contexts, including in rural setting.