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ESSENTIAL SKILLS the repercussions of years and years of "hands-off" training, and our culture continues to struggle with the meaning of touch and the contexts in which touch can be appropriate. As a start, it is helpful to understand how our sense of touch develops, as well as the various ways that healthy touch can influence our early development. THE ROLE OF TOUCH IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT The sensation of touch actually begins in the womb. The skin, derived from the same cells as the nervous system, is a perfect instrument for collecting information about our surrounding environment long before birth. A fetus will withdraw from the touch of a probe at less than eight weeks of gestation, showing that the link between touch and survival is one of the first and most important protective mechanisms to develop. In contrast to most other mammals, human babies are born before they are developmentally and physiologically ready—not only are they unable to move around in their environment, they also cannot see clearly or differentiate sounds. As a result, human infants must communicate with the world almost entirely through the skin. Even older babies, who are not yet crawling, use their skin as a way to get information about the world. Watch a baby explore a new toy: the first place it goes is into the baby's mouth. The baby is not really interested in how the rattle tastes. It happens that a huge number of sensory neurons are in the skin of the lips and tongue, and this is where a baby gets his or her information. Babies put toys in their mouths to find out what they feel like. Some of the most important messages conveyed by the skin have to do with safety and well-being. Studies show that all babies—perfectly healthy ones and others who suffer from colic, Some of the most important messages conveyed by the skin have to do with safety and well-being. Studies show that babies benefit from regular touch. cocaine exposure, AIDS, or abuse— benefit from regular touch. Changes in blood chemistry indicate a reduction in stress, and the babies end up crying less, sleeping more, and being generally easier to soothe. In some hospitals, sick and premature infants who are isolated in sterile environments are given gentle massage therapy for 15 minutes, three times a day. Sometimes they are simply held and rocked by hospital volunteers. Although these babies are given exactly the same amount of food as others, they grow faster, gain more weight, and leave the hospital sooner than their untouched counterparts. Cross-species studies demonstrate that it's not just humans who require touch for proper development. For instance, rodents and other lower mammals must be licked by their mothers after birth to stimulate their first bowel excretions; without this stimulation, the babies die. Research also shows that separating baby rats from their mothers causes measurable brain damage: cells in the central nervous system actually degenerate and fall apart without their mothers' touch. Furthermore, baby rats that are removed from their mothers will in turn not mother their own offspring: early nurturing through touch is vital to the survival of the species. Consistent nurturing touch in infancy seems to influence later coping skills as well. When placed in a novel situation, young monkeys who have been nurtured tend to show curiosity and a kind of tentative courage. When introduced to a new enclosure, for instance, they will explore it by degrees, frequently retreating to hug the mother's leg for reassurance. Then they will venture forth again and again until they feel comfortable in their new surroundings. In contrast, baby monkeys that are raised without comforting, nurturing touch are easily overwhelmed by new 104 massage & bodywork january/february 2009