In India massaging a newborn is given a lot of importance. We asked Dr Jasjit Singh Bhasin, the Head of Pediatrics Department at BL Kapoor Hospital(BLK Hospital), New Delhi about massing a newborn. Dr Bhasin feels that it is more of a cultural thing and if we must massage a newborn, then it must be done by the mother or someone from home rather than from a professional child masseur (also known as Dai Ma in India) as there could be a possibility that they could be carry bacteria from other places they may have visited.
Dr Jasjit Singh Bhasin, MBBS, MD (Pediatric), MBA Senior Consultant & HOD (Pediatric), BLK Hospital, New Delhi