Tiffany Field

Hasta hace muy poco tiempo, casi todos los libros sobre la primera infancia suponían en el bebe una inmadurez básica. Tiffany FIELD, en su revisión de estudios recientes, muestra que los bebes poseen complejas destrezas perceptivas, como la del oido, incluso antes de nacer. Los recien nacidos pueden percibir el tacto y el movimiento, discriminar entre sabores y olores, reconocer la voz de la madre e imitar expresiones faciales. La autora examina la aparicion de las destrezas sensomotrices y cognitivas que desempeñan un importante papel en el desarrollo social y emocional en los meses posteriores al nacimiento, cuando el niño experimenta el mundo. Conviene destacar ademas los capitulos dedicados a las guarderias y programas de asistencia diurna, y a los niños y niñas en situacion de riesgo por diversas causas.

Why we need a daily dose of touch: an investigation of the effects of touch on our physical and mental well-being. Although the therapeutic benefits of touch have become increasingly clear, American society, claims Tiffany Field, is dangerously touch-deprived. Many schools have no touch policies; the isolating effects of Internet-driven work and life can leave us hungry for tactile experience. In this book Field explains why we may need a daily dose of touch.The first sensory input in life comes from the sense of touch while a baby is still in the womb, and touch continues to be the primary means of learning about the world throughout infancy and well into childhood. Touch is critical, too, for adults physical and mental health. Field describes studies showing that touch therapy can benefit everyone, from premature infants to children with asthma to patients with conditions that range from cancer to eating disorders.This second edition of Touch, revised and updated with the latest research, reports on new studies that show the role of touch in early development, in communication (including the reading of others emotions), in personal relationships, and even in sports. It describes the physiological and biological effects of touch, including areas of the brain affected by touch, and the effects of massage therapy on prematurity, attentiveness, depression, pain, and immune functions. Touch has been shown to have positive effects on growth, brain waves, breathing, and heart rate, and to decrease stress and anxiety. As Field makes clear, we enforce our societys touch taboo at our peril.

An essay on the importance of touch to childrens growth and development and to the physical and mental well-being of people of all ages.The first sensory input in life comes from the sense of touch while a baby is still in the womb, and touch continues to be the primary means of learning about the world throughout infancy, well into childhood. Touch is critical for childrens growth, development, and health, as well as for adults physical and mental well-being. Yet American society, claims Tiffany Field, is dangerously touch-deprived.Field, a leading authority on touch and touch therapy, begins this accessible book with an overview of the sociology and anthropology of touching and the basic psychophysical properties of touch. She then reports recent research results on the value of touch therapies, such as massage therapy, for various conditions, including asthma, cancer, autism, and eating disorders. She emphasizes the need for a change in societal attitudes toward touching, particularly among those who work with children.