Baby massage involves gently massaging the child's body with a vegetable oil for a few minutes, at a time when the baby is awake and calm. It is not mandatory and does not treat anything. Above all, it is a period of prolonged, structured contact that suits some babies but not others.
Where does infant massage come from?
Massaging babies is an ancient and widespread practice. In India, daily oil massage has been part of ordinary infant care for generations, often passed down from mother to daughter. Comparable techniques can be found in West Africa, the Maghreb, and Southeast Asia.
In France, the practice spread from the 1970s onward. In 1976, obstetrician Frédérick Leboyer published a book devoted to shantala, a massage sequence he had observed in Calcutta. The book popularized a specific method that is now taught in many maternal and child health workshops.
These traditions should be viewed for what they are: coherent cultural practices, not universal recipes. The techniques vary widely from one country to another, including the frequency, pressure applied, and oils used.
What does research say about the benefits of baby massage?
The strongest evidence concerns premature or low-birth-weight babies, not full-term newborns. A Cochrane review of fourteen randomized trials measured a weight gain of about five grams per day in massaged infants, and a hospital stay shortened by about four and a half days.
The authors of this review nevertheless expressed strong reservations. The methodological quality of the included studies was considered low, with a risk of selective publication of results. Their conclusion is cautious: the evidence is insufficient to recommend making the practice routine in hospital settings.
For a full-term, healthy baby, the measured effects on sleep or crying remain modest and difficult to reproduce from one study to another. In other words, massage is not a treatment. It can, however, be an enjoyable experience, and that is reason enough.
What is better established is the importance of touch in sensory development. We explain this in detail in our article on touch in babies.
When to massage your baby during the day
The right time is when the baby is awake, calm, and receptive. Neither hungry, nor full, nor tired. In practice, this is often about thirty minutes after breastfeeding or a bottle, or just before bath time.
A few practical conditions matter. The room should be heated to around 22 to 24 degrees, because a naked baby gets cold quickly. Place a towel on a stable surface, preferably on the floor, to eliminate any risk of falling. Remove your watch and rings, and warm your hands.
The session does not need to be long. Five minutes is enough at first. A baby under two months old often tires before the adult does.
The basic movements, in order
There is no single right sequence. The one below is simply progressive: it begins with the least sensitive areas.
The legs and feet
Gently encircle one thigh with both hands and move slowly down toward the ankle. Repeat three or four times, then move to the other leg. Finish with the sole of the foot, using your thumb.
The tummy
Place your hand flat and describe wide, slow circles clockwise. This is the direction of intestinal transit. Stay very gentle and avoid this area if the umbilical cord has not completely healed.
The chest and arms
Start from the center of the chest and move toward the shoulders, as if opening a book. Then move down along each arm to the hand, enveloping it.
The back
Turn the child onto their stomach, on your thighs or on the towel. Slide your flat hand from the nape of the neck toward the buttocks, without pressing on the spine. Many babies particularly enjoy this stroke.
Which oil to use for massaging a baby
A simple, cold-pressed vegetable oil with no added fragrance is sufficient. Sunflower, sesame, or coconut oil is suitable. Choose a product whose ingredient list fits on one line.
Three precautions are worth recalling. Never use essential oils on an infant unless explicitly advised by a medical professional. Avoid peanut oil, a major allergen. Test any new oil on a small area of skin twenty-four hours before using it more widely.
A tiny amount is enough: a few drops warmed between your palms. Oily skin makes your hands slide too much and makes the movement imprecise.
When it is better not to massage
- Fever, ongoing infection, or unusual condition: postpone and seek advice.
- Eczema flare-up, wound, or irritation: avoid the affected area.
- On the day of a vaccination: do not massage the injection site.
- Immediately after a meal: wait until digestion has begun.
- The child’s refusal: this is the most important criterion.
This last point deserves to be taken seriously. A baby who turns their head away, stiffens, cries, or starts yawning repeatedly is expressing that they have had enough. Stop, without insisting and without seeing it as a failure. Consent applies with an infant too.
Massage and colic: what can you expect?
Abdominal massage is often presented as a response to infant colic. The available data are inconclusive, and the reported effects remain minor. Massage may soothe a baby in the moment without addressing the cause.
If the crying is intense, daily, and prolonged, seeking medical advice remains the most useful step. Massage may be used as a complement, never as a substitute.
Incorporating massage into an evening ritual
Massage combines well with bathing, which already engages touch and temperature. The most common sequence is simple: massage, then bath, then feeding, then bedtime. The order matters less than consistency.
The question of water and sensory stimulation is explored in our article about bathing and sensory development, and the safety rules are covered in our baby bathing safety guide.
One practical point that is often overlooked is working height. Massaging and then bathing a baby on the floor or in a bathtub that is too low quickly strains the back. A foldable freestanding bathtub places the child at adult height and then folds away against a wall. The different configurations are compared in our guide to choosing a baby bathtub.
Finally, a ritual only has value if it can be maintained over time. Three short, relaxed massages a week are better than a daily session experienced as an obligation. Our guidance on organizing the day can be found in our article about naps and daily rhythms.
Key points
- Baby massage is a time for contact, not a treatment.
- The clearest evidence concerns premature infants, and remains limited.
- A simple vegetable oil, no essential oils, and a preliminary skin test.
- Five minutes are enough, in a warm room, on a stable surface.
- The child’s refusal brings the session to an end, without discussion.
Questions about our products or how to care for them? The answers are gathered in the Treelys FAQ.
Sources
- Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, “Massage for promoting growth and development of preterm and/or low birth-weight infants,” review published April 19, 2004.
- Frédérick Leboyer, “Shantala, a Traditional Art: The Massage of Children,” Éditions du Seuil, 1976.
