Correcting Myths About Baby Massage, Not For Treatment But For Preventive And Promotive Efforts

Baby massage has a number of positive impacts, both for children and parents. (Unsplash)

JAKARTA Massaging babies has many benefits, not only for the baby but also for parents. However, pediatricians warn, massaging babies must be done with the right massage technique.

Baby massage is one of the traditions that is still often found in Indonesia. Massage is the earliest stimulation that parents can give to babies. Not only has a positive impact on the health of babies, massaging is also one way to strengthen the bond or bond between parents and children.

Citing the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) page, massage stimulation is a combination of multiple-capital stimulation, namely raba (taxile) and movement (kinetics) carried out by parents, health workers or other family members. Furthermore, at the same time parents also carry out stimulation (hearing, by inviting babies to speak when massaged), visual stimulation (of sight, by making eye contact while massaging), and others.

Massage therapy has been carried out for hundreds of years. So it's no wonder that massage is called the oldest and most popular therapy. In China, massage therapy has been known for 3000 years before BC and then spread to other countries. Meanwhile, Greek medicine experts suggest that massage is a method of treatment.

In Indonesia, massage therapy is done generationally. Baby massage can be started as early as possible, even since the baby was in the womb. At that time, the mother's heart rate was able to move water to touch the fetal skin. Thus, the sense of touch or radiation has been formed from an early age.

But massaging babies is not only about soft absorption on the skin, but also a form of stimulation that can help the baby develop optimally. This stimulation provides physical health benefits, as well as building bonds or bonds between parents and children.

In practice, simulating babies through massage cannot be done carelessly. Consultant pediatrician Dr.dr.Fitri Hartanto, Sp.A(K) said, starting the baby massage must involve three types of stimulation, namely visual, hearing, and touch.

"The challenge greatly affects the development of children in communication and cognitive aspects," explained dr. Fitri in an online discussion with the Central Board of the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (PP IDAI), Tuesday (5/3/2024).

Baby massage stimulation is also recommended as an implementation of the Regulation of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia Number 39 of 2016 concerning Guidelines for the Implementation of Healthy Indonesia Programs with a Family Approach.

In Indonesia itself, massage is often associated as one of the techniques of treatment or better known as traditional sequences. In principle, what is meant by massage and sequence has something in common, namely the same form of manipulation on soft tissue manually by holding, mobilizing, and or emphasizing the body to have a positive influence.

However, there are other things that are in different principles. Urut is often associated with the term massage shaman or massager who massages to cure diseases. In fact, dr. Fitri explained, the concept of massage is a promotive and preventive effort in child health services, more precisely providing stimulation and not therapy even though it can indirectly have an impact on treating.

"Parents who fully hand over massages to massage shamans deviate from their original goals," said dr. Fitri.

"When this activity is given to a massage shaman, there is no interaction between him and the baby. In fact, the purpose of massage is either a bond or a bond. In addition, massage techniques carried out by a massage shaman are also very risky," he added.

Among a number of benefits of baby massage, one of which is that it can help overcome the problem of nutritional status. Quoted from the Ministry of Health page, one of the causes of malnutrition in children is lack of nutrition while in the womb, but this can be done before the child is two years old, one of which is by intervening in baby massage. Sti begins to massage babies can help improve children's nutritional status and continues to grow and develop children.

According to research conducted by Siti Muawanah in 2020, the relationship between baby massage and improving the nutritional status of babies is under two years.

The study used a sample of 45 babies under the age of year and the results showed that 24 babies who received massages routinely had good nutritional quality as many as 19 people. Based on the results of the study, it is hoped that parents will pay more attention to the quality of the baby's nutrition through regular massage.

"The movement to massage from head to toe makes it easier for the body to distribute blood vessels, increase blood circulation, increase the cognitive function of children, to prevent babies from nutritional problems," said the results of research conducted in the working area of the Pati Health Center, Pekalongan.