Educación Médica Continua

The first language of baby is touch. Módulo 4: El tacto

The sense of touch is the first to develop during pregnancy. During 7-8 weeks there is tactile perception of the perioral area, at 11 weeks there is tactile perception of the face, palms of the hands and soles of the feet and at 20 weeks there is a complete development of the whole body and membranes.¹

During infancy, the affective touch in children helps to develop the “social brain” that builds interpersonal communication, skin-to-skin contact plays a very important role in both premature infants and babies in normal term.^2-3

Premature and at risk neonates:⁴

• Decreased length of hospital stay
• Lower rates of infection
• Less pain response to interventions
• Faster weight gain
• Better neurodevelopmental outcomes
• Improved mother-infant interaction
• More caregiver and nurse satisfaction

On term neonates:⁴

• Reduction of bilirubin level
• Establishment of day-night circadian rhythms
• Enhancement of early growth and development
• Maternal increased attachment, enhanced mother-infant interactions
• Reduction in postpartum depression symptoms

Mustela massage oil contains sunflower, avocado, punic seed oil. It was dermatologically tested in children between day and 1.9 years every day obtaining favorable results.

Role of massage with NEW melting massage balm

With the new Mustela massage balm, in this study 75 children from 7 days of birth to 24 months were analyzed, with a daily massage for 21 days, after bathing and before sleeping; no instructions were given for massage and evaluations were made at 7 and 21 days. The facial reactions of the parents during the massage were recorded, the emotions were calculated using an artificial intelligence algorithm based on deep learning.

COMPOSITION:

9 ingredients:

• Organic Persea Gratissima and Sunflower Oils, caprylic/Capric Triglyderides, Coco/Caprylate/Caprate,
• Glycerin,
• Sucrose Laurate and Stearate,
• Natural Fragrance,
• Water

Massage balm: Results after 21 days

The tolerance of the product in the massage was favorable, improving redness, dryness, roughness and elasticity, as we can see in the following graphs.

Massage balm: Qualitative outcomes

Massage balm: Analysis of facial expressions via Artificial intelligence

AFETS: Advanced Facial and Eye Tracking System

• Mean duration of first massage

• 5.52 ± 2.35 minutes.
• Analyzed 50% of time

• Joy expression was detected

• 35.3 ± 21.6% of time

• No negative expression

Role of affective touch

Interpersonal communication, to build^2,3

• Relationship
• Positive images: sympathy, support, comfort
• Pleasure

Role of affective touch: A fibers vs CT fibers^2,3

Role of skin-to-skin⁴

ON PREMATURE

• Decreased infection rates
• Improved cardiorespiratory and thermal stability
• More organized sleep-wake patterns
• Longer duration of breastfeeding and increased milk volume
• More positive parent-infant interaction
• Improved infant neurodevelopmental outcomes

ON-TERM NEONATES

• Greater breastfeeding initiation and exclusivity rates
• More rapid mother-infant interaction
• Earlier infant thermoregulation
• Decreased maternal and newborn stress reactivity / and salivary cortisol levels
• Reduction in newborn pain response during painful procedures (heel lances)

Conclusion

TOUCH by Pr. Tiffany Field^2,3

• “ The studies presented in this book make a powerful argument for touch and remind us that in this technological world there is still room for therapies requiring few technologies that can improve the health and happiness of infants and children families around the world. “
• “ If people say massage works because it makes you feel good, ‘… excuse me ! ” Field said. “ Massage works because it changes your whole physiology. ”

REFERENCIAS

1 Busnel MC and Héron A. Le développement de la sensorialité fœtale. Article publié dans LA NAISSANCE : histoire, cultures et pratiques d’aujourd’hui. R. Frydman & M. Szejer, Albin Michel 2010:633-643

2 McGlone F, et al. Discriminative and affective touch: sensing and feeling. Neuron 2014;82(4):737-55.

3 Hertenstein MJ, et al. The communicative functions of touch in humans, nonhuman primates, and rats: a review and synthesis of the empirical research.Genet Soc Gen Psychol Monogr 2006;132(1):5-94.

4 Cleveland L, et al. Systematic Review of Skin-to-Skin Care for Full-Term, Healthy Newborns. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 2017;46(6):857-869