What did the researchers study?
The study looked at how parents naturally stroke their babies, without coaching or instruction, and compared this to the stroking speed known to most strongly activate C-tactile afferents, the nerve fibres in the skin that respond specifically to gentle, affectionate touch.
What did they find?
Parents naturally stroked their babies at a pace that closely matched the speed known to elicit the strongest C-tactile afferent response, roughly 1 to 10 centimetres per second. This wasn't taught. It appeared to be an intuitive, unprompted behaviour.
Why is it important?
This finding is echoed by related research. In a separate study, Aguirre et al. (2019) found that nine-month-old infants showed a measurable drop in heart rate, a marker of relaxation, specifically when they were touched at this same optimal pace by their own caregiver, and not when touched at the same pace by a stranger, or at a faster or slower pace by anyone. Together, these findings suggest something significant, the pace that feels intuitively right to parents is also the pace that produces a measurable calming effect in their baby, and that effect depends on it being a trusted, familiar person doing the touching.
What does this mean for infant massage?
It means the physiological system behind affectionate touch and the natural instincts of parents are already well aligned. Infant massage doesn't need to override or correct a parent's instincts about pace, it can trust and build on them.
How has this influenced the IMIS approach?
This research has shaped two specific, deliberate choices in how IMIS trains instructors.
The first is pace. Instructors are trained never to rush a demonstration. When showing a technique, movements are slow and unhurried, and parents are actively encouraged to massage at whatever pace feels relaxing and right to them, rather than matching a fixed tempo. This isn't just a style preference. The evidence shows that pace changes how a baby physiologically experiences the touch, including measurable effects like a drop in heart rate associated with relaxation. Getting the pace right isn't a finishing touch on good technique, it's part of what makes the touch work the way it's meant to.
The second is who does the touching. Certified Infant Massage Instructors and Paediatric Massage Consultants never massage a baby who isn't their own. This has always been a core part of how IMIS trains instructors, and this research offers a clear physiological reason why it matters so much. A baby's response to touch isn't just about the movement itself, it depends on who's providing it. A trusted, familiar person, typically a parent, can elicit a genuine calming response. A stranger, even performing the exact same touch at the exact same pace, cannot. This is a big part of why IMIS instructors demonstrate on a doll while parents massage their own baby throughout every session, it isn't only about comfort or consent, it reflects what the research shows actually produces the physiological benefit.
Putting it into practice
When a parent asks about the right pace for massaging their baby, IMIS instructors reassure them that the pace which feels natural and relaxing to them is usually the right one.
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