Physical therapy

My baby sees a physical therapist once a week.

Rubbing hands and feet

OK, this may be crazy talk, but I am going to jump right in.

I believe that the best thing that I am doing for my baby right now is rubbing his hands and feet. We give him firm foot and hand massages whenever we are holding him. I can post abstracts as to why I came up with this, but briefly: It seems our kids have fewer nerves reporting from their periphery into their brain. The lack of these nerves contributes to their balance problems, coordination, sensory integration issues, gross motor deficits, and fine motor deficits. Stimulating the neurons that exist can cause more to grow (especially during certain developmental windows). My hunch (pretty much a total guess) is that this window of opportunity is probably most pronounced during 4-8 months.

We have been doing this for a week now. Since rubbing his feet, he has been baring weight just a tiny bit. Since rubbing his hands, his grip has gotten much stronger. It could be coincidence. But, I figure it can't do any harm. After all, I wish someone would chase me around giving hand a foot massages. :)

If anyone tries it, be sure and let me know whether you notice anything or if it is just my wishful thinking.