More than a cuddle: Baby massage works miracles in a project for underprivileged families

"Abnormal movements or delayed development in babies can be improved by massage," says Bangkok senator Rosana Tositrakul, who launched a Thai Holistic Health Foundation project for massage volunteers to improve the health of babies from underprivileged families.

"Western research shows that massaging a baby every day for one to two months improves its brain and muscle function," Rosana says. She cites a US study in which senior citizens were taught how to massage babies. Not only did the babies' development improve, but symptoms of depression in the seniors began to disappear too.    

"I was close to tears when a baby I had massaged for more than a year - who couldn't even sit up  was able to walk and run," says Tidachanok Wongpitak, a 23-year-old volunteer.

Another volunteer, Kanida Khanthisuwan, 37, says she actually cried when an infant with emotional problems made eye contact and smiled at her after three months of massage.         

Rosana recommends that parents should gently massage their infants for 10 to 15 minutes every day, with seven strokes each on their arms, wrists, stomach, back, legs and face.