The Effect of Infant Massage on Mother-Infant Bonding Among Infants Aged 6-12 Months
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53713/htechj.v4i1.565Keywords:
infant massage, mother-infant bonding, MIBSAbstract
Mother–infant bonding is a fundamental component of early emotional development and has long-term effects on infants’ behavioral, psychological, and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Infant massage is widely recognized as a complementary intervention that promotes parent–child interaction, facilitates emotional closeness, and enhances touch-mediated communication between mothers and infants. This study aims to investigate the effect of infant massage on bonding among infants aged 6–12 months. This research employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group. The intervention included structured training using standardized massage techniques, followed by four weeks of home-based practice. Bonding was measured using the Maternal Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS) before and after the intervention. Data analysis used paired t-tests to assess within-group differences and independent t-tests to compare outcomes between the intervention and control groups. The results showed a significant improvement in bonding scores among mothers in the intervention group p-value = 0.011, with apparent differences compared to the control group. Observational data revealed enhanced maternal sensitivity, increased affectionate behavior, and greater emotional attunement. These findings suggest that infant massage is a practical, low-cost, and feasible intervention that can be effectively integrated into community-based maternal and child health programs to promote emotional attachment and support early developmental outcomes.
References
Agustina, R., Novelia, S., & Kundaryanti, R. (2022). The Effect of Baby Massage on The Sleep Duration of Infants Aged 6-12 Months. Nursing and Health Sciences Journal (NHSJ), 2(4), 361–366. https://doi.org/10.53713/nhs.v2i4.147
Carozza, S., & Leong, V. (2021). The Role of Affectionate Caregiver Touch in Early Neurodevelopment and Parent–Infant Interactional Synchrony. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 14, 613378. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2020.613378
Clarici, A., Bulfon, M., Radin, Y., & Panksepp, J. (2024). Neuromodulation of safety and surprise in the early stages of infant development: Affective homeostatic regulation in bodily and mental functions. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1395247. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1395247
Danielsson, M., Lustig, H. H., Garmy, P., & Einberg, L. (2024). Mothers' experience of infant massage in child health care: A qualitative interview study. Nursing Open, 11(6), e2206. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.2206
Field T. (2019). Pediatric Massage Therapy Research: A Narrative Review. Children (Basel, Switzerland), 6(6), 78. https://doi.org/10.3390/children6060078
Geary, O., Grealish, A., & Bright, M. (2023). The effectiveness of mother-led infant massage on symptoms of maternal postnatal depression: A systematic review. PLOS ONE, 18(12), e0294156. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0294156
Grochowska, A., Kmita, G., Szumiał, S., & Rutkowska, M. (2024). Maternal affective touch and adaptive synchrony in mother-preterm infant interactions: Implications for early bonding processes. Infant Behavior and Development, 77, 102002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2024.102002
Hart, S. L. (2022). Attachment and Caregiving in the Mother–Infant Dyad: Evolutionary Developmental Psychology Models of their Origins in the Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness. In Evolutionary Perspectives on Infancy (pp. 135-160). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76000-7_7
Khuzaiyah, S., Adnani, Q. E. S., Chabibah, N., Khanifah, M., & Lee, K. Y. (2022). A qualitative study on mothers’ experiences attending an online infant massage class:“It is funny! I feel close to my baby!”. BMC nursing, 21(1), 175. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-022-00952-9
La Rosa, V. L., Geraci, A., Iacono, A., & Commodari, E. (2024). Affective Touch in Preterm Infant Development: Neurobiological Mechanisms and Implications for Child–Caregiver Attachment and Neonatal Care. Children, 11(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/children11111407
Lai, M., D'Acunto, G., Guzzetta, A., Finnigan, S., Ngenda, N., Ware, R. S., Boyd, R. N., & Colditz, P. B. (2022). Infant massage and brain maturation measured using EEG: A randomised controlled trial. Early Human Development, 172, 105632. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2022.105632
Le Bas, G., Youssef, G., Macdonald, J. A., Teague, S., Mattick, R., Honan, I., McIntosh, J. E., Khor, S., Rossen, L., Elliott, E. J., Allsop, S., Burns, L., Olsson, C. A., & Hutchinson, D. (2022). The Role of Antenatal and Postnatal Maternal Bonding in Infant Development. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 61(6), 820-829.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2021.08.024
McCarty, D. B., Willett, S., Kimmel, M., & Dusing, S. C. (2023). Benefits of maternally-administered infant massage for mothers of hospitalized preterm infants: a scoping review. Maternal Health, Neonatology and Perinatology, 9(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40748-023-00151-7
Moussa, S., Fawaz, L., Ibrahim, W., Elsayed, M. F., & Ahmed, M. M. (2021). Effect of Infant Massage on Salivary Oxytocin Level of Mothers and Infants with Normal and Disordered Bonding. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 12, 21501327211012942. https://doi.org/10.1177/21501327211012942
Mrljak, R., Danielsson, A. A., Hedov, G., Garmy, P., Mrljak, R., Danielsson, A. A., Hedov, G., & Garmy, P. (2022). Effects of Infant Massage: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116378
Nikolaeva, E. I., Dydenkova, E. A., Mayorova, L. A., & Portnova, G. V. (2024). The impact of daily affective touch on cortisol levels in institutionalized & fostered children. Physiology & Behavior, 277, 114479. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114479
Norman, V. J., & Roggman, L. A. (2025). Effects of infant massage on infant attachment security in a randomized controlled trial. Infant Behavior and Development, 78, 102004. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2024.102004
Nousia, A. (2023). Healthy touch and infant massage: Two main factors in infants daily care and healthy development. European Journal of Education Studies, 10(6). http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v10i6.4854
Rahmawati, Rukmaini, & Novelia, S. (2024). The Effect of Baby Massage on Body Weight and Sleep Quality of Babies Aged 3-6 Months. Health and Technology Journal (HTechJ), 2(2), 150–156. https://doi.org/10.53713/htechj.v2i2.172
Vizzari, G., Morniroli, D., Travella, P., Bezze, E., Sannino, P., Rampini, S., Marchisio, P., Plevani, L., Mosca, F., & Giannì, M. L. (2023). Feeding Difficulties in Late Preterm Infants and Their Impact on Maternal Mental Health and the Mother–Infant Relationship: A Literature Review. Nutrients, 15(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15092180
Zhang, Y., Duan, C., Cheng, L., & Li, H. (2023). Effects of massage therapy on preterm infants and their mothers: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 11, 1198730. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2023.1198730
