Touch

Many of us live in a kind of touch free zone afraid that physical contact may be
perceived as inappropriate, sissified or sexually harassing. This lack of touch
is unfortunate since there is so much evidence that touch can lead to better
physical and emotional health

University of Miami's Touch Research Institute Director Dr. Tiffany Field
explains, "Most of us only think touch has psychological benefits, but it's
actually an important stimulus to the central nervous system."

Premature babies given daily massage gains 47% more weight and are discharge
from the hospital 6 days earlier then non-messaged babies

Newborn rat pups failed to grow when taken away from their mothers.
However, when a lab assistant imitated the tongue strokes of the mother rat’s
touch with a wet paintbrush the pups started growing again.

The bottom line: Caregivers loving touch help baby rats and baby humans grow


How is touch part of EQ?
New research has drawn connections between caregiver's touch and children's
emotional health

Infants who receive massage show lower levels of stress hormone cortisol in
their urine. (This has health impacts on the infants since high levels of cortisol
have been shown to kill important immune system cells.)

In September 2001 researchers released a study that found that children born
premature with low birth weight who receive consistent caressing and other
nurturing touch display better social and emotional health the premature infants
who received less nurturing contact and caressing. They concluded that a
caregivers touching style uniquely shapes an infants psychological development.

And loving touch can be powerful for both children and their parents...

When the parents of diabetic children gave nightly messages to their kids the
children experience health benefits. What is particularly interesting is that
both parents and children experienced less anxiety and depression.

What can you do to increase touch in your life?
- Hug your children!
- Exchange messages with your significant other
- Make a backrub part of your child’s bedtime routine


'till next week,
- Kate

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This was a Weekly EQ Byte from Six Seconds
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©2001 Kate Bedford, Six Seconds
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