Fwd: Daily News - Tuesday, December 17, 2002

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 17/12/02 11:30:38 GMT Standard Time,

healthy.pages writes:

 

 

> Daily News from Healthypages

> Tuesday, December 17, 2002

> _______________________________

>

> Massage “helps regulate babies’ sleep patternsâ€

>

> Scientists believe they may have found the key to undisturbed sleep for new

> parents – massaging their babies.

>

> A small study by researchers in Israel found that night-time massage

> affected babies’ development of circadian rhythm – the biological clock

> that helps humans adjust to the earth’s 24-hour rotational time – leading

> to a more regular sleeping cycle.

>

> The study, published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral

> Pediatrics, involved approximately 20 mothers. Half were instructed to

> massage their infants for 30 minutes at bedtime for 14 days starting 10-14

> days after birth. The rest did not massage their children.

>

> Massage involved touching the infant’s head with one hand and lightly

> stroking his or her back in a circular motion, researchers explain.

>

> To assess the effects of massage, researchers used a sensor to measure the

> infants’ daytime and night-time activity before and after the treatment and

> at six and eight weeks of age.

>

> Researchers also measured the quantities of a melatonin by-product in the

> infants’ urine at 6, 8 and 12 weeks of age. Melatonin is a sleep-regulating

> hormone secreted at night. The secretion is controlled by the circadian

> system, studies suggest.

>

> Results showed that at eight weeks, infants who were massaged exhibited an

> activity pattern that was more closely aligned with their mothers. Their

> peak activity occurred during the early morning hours while the control

> group was most active around midnight.

>

> Furthermore, the infants in the massage group were active during the

> afternoon while the control group showed activity around midday and slept

> during the afternoon.

>

> Researchers also found that, at 12 weeks, massaged infants had higher

> night-time melatonin production.

>

> Researchers say it is possible that the massages act as a strong time cue

> that helps the infants’ developing circadian systems align with their

> mothers’ night-day cycle.

>

> Study author Dr Sari Goldstein Ferber of Tel Aviv University says, “Massage

> therapy by mothers in the perinatal period serves as a strong time cue,

> helping infants co-ordinate their developing circadian system with

> environmental cues.â€

>

>