Does a newborn really need a firm hand on his body?

Baby massage, if performed with force, could even dislocate the infant’s delicate bones.

Many parents even before the birth of their baby finalises a maalish wali or massage wali. Many parents and especially grand parents believe that body massage followed by bath is very important for bone growth. However it is not true. In most of the western countries , they do not give massage; but their kids grow as healthy as ours.

Most of the experts believe massaging is not essential; certainly putting too much of pressure can even have bad effects and dislocate the joint or even can cause fracture.

Massage can be given gently all over the body. It helps in stimulation nerve ending over skin which in turn help in growth and general development of child. So do not worry too much , if your baby is not receiving massage; his bone growth will be normal. (as long as baby is getting adequate vitamin D and calcium)

Points to be noted while giving massage

  • Be gentle while massaging
  • Maintain good hygiene
  • type of oil , does not make a huge difference, what helps is your soft gentle touch over babies skin. As long as child is not developing any rashes, you can use any oil. 
  • Avoid putting oil in ear. It can be very dangerous (if there is any ear disease or rupture of ear drum, it can lead to spillage of oil into middle ear, which can lead to deafness in some cases).
  •  Know when to stop massaging: if your baby is having rashes, significant redness or baby is crying excessively, stop immediately
  • Giving Vitamin D is more important for bone growth than massage. Natural source of Vitamin D is sunlight and various drops are recommended daily (400 IU daily)