Baby Massage: A Video for Loving Parents

The importance of touch to babies has been well documented, and this video teaches that massage can produce better weight gain, increase performance on developmental tasks, make babies easier to sooth and put to sleep, produce emotional security and a healthy body image, stimulate digestion and relieve colic, enhance intimacy, reduce stress (for baby...and parent), teach relaxation, and encourage bonding. In addition, consider the fact that premature infants regularly massaged in a hospital come home sooner and stronger than non-massaged babies. The importance of correct technique is paramount to avoid injury, however, and the tape does an excellent job of demonstrating same. The babies seem to genuinely enjoy the massage session, the mothers offer gentle and encouraging advice to viewers, and the accompanying music by Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart is appropriate and enjoyable. The video is based on the book Infant Massage: A Handbook For Loving Parents by Vimala Schneider McClure, so librarians may wish to have a copy available for checkout as well. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (E. Druda)