Infant massage

[4] At present it is part of traditional childcare in South Asia and elsewhere where daily massage by mothers is seen as "instilling fearlessness, hardening bone structure, enhancing movement and limb coordination, and increasing weight".

[2] A 2013 Cochrane review of massage therapy for babies less than 6 months of age who were born at term found that the evidence was insufficient to support its use.

[1] A 2004 Cochrane review looking at massage therapy for pre-term and low birth weight was insufficient to justify its use.

[2] Other possible mechanisms include increased vagal activity and secretion of insulin and gastrin as well as improved parent-infant relationships.

[1] Reviews of the literature have found no significant risks for adverse events with massage theory with either full term or pre-term infants.