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Maternal stress during pregnancy adversely effects infants:
linked to
allergies:
linked to
sleep problems:
linked to
brain development:
and
schizophrenia:
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Twenty-six
pregnant women were assigned to a massage therapy or relaxation therapy
group for 5 weeks. The therapies consisted of 20-min seesions twice a
week. Both groups reported feeling less anxious after the first session
and less leg pain after the first and last session.
Only the massage therapy group, however,
reported reduced anxiety. improved mood, better sleep, and less back pain
by the last day of the study. In addition, urinary stress hormone levels
(norepinephrine) decreased for the massage therapy group and the women had
fewer complications during labor and their infants had fewer postnatal
complications (e.g., less prematurity).
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Depressed
pregnant women were recruited during the second trimester of pregnancy and
randomly assigned to a massage therapy group, a progressive muscle
relaxation group or a control group that received standard prenatal care
alone. Immediately after the massage therapy sessions the women reported
lower levels of anxiety and depressed mood and less leg and back pain. By
the end of the study the massage group had higher dopamine and serotonin
levels and lower levels of cortisol and norepinephrine. These changes may
have contributed to the reduced fetal activity and the better neonatal
outcome for the massage group (i.e. lesser incidence of prematurity and
low birthweight), as well as their better performance on the Brazelton
Neonatal Behavior Assessment.
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Labor
pain is reduced by massage therapy.
Twenty-eight women were recruited from prenatal classes and randomly assigned to receive massage in addition to coaching in breathing from their partners during labor, or to receive coaching in breathing alone (a technique learned during prenatal classes). The massaged mothers reported a decrease in depressed mood, anxiety and more positive affect following the first massage during labor. In addition, the massaged mothers had significantly shorter labor, a shorter hospital stay and less postpartum depression. Field, T., Hernandez-Reif,
M., Taylor, S., Quintino, O., & Burman, I. |
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The
mood of women with premenstrual symptoms improved, and anxiety, pain and
water retention symptoms decreased after massage therapy.
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