10th August 2022

Katie Lane, a Play Specialist at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, has attended a four-day intensive infant massage course.

The course taught specific skills to reach parents or carers massage strokes to care for their infants.

Katie must now deliver the course to five families in the community, at which point she'll be a qualified infant massage instructor.

Katie said: "This course has allowed me to develop an additional skill to support inpatients and their families with positive touch. Skills in infant massage can impact bonding and provide chances for making meaningful memories. 

In healthcare settings, patients can experience stressful and/or painful experiences, positive touch can help to build up opportunities for enriching sensory experiences which families can share with their infant. 

"This course will allow me to provide an additional therapeutic opportunity to long-term patients and families in the children's hospital. As a Play Specialist my skill set allows me to adapt play to meet the needs of each individual patient. Infant massage may be adapted for patients with different medical needs and this positive touch can be taught to families via dolls or handouts if patients are unable to participate in infant massage."  

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