1

Heart rate is calmed and blood pressure normalizes

2

Symptoms of anxiety or depression are reduced

3

The level of stress hormones decreases

4

Level of feel-good hormones increases and the immune system is strengthened

The result of 163 studies involving nearly 25,000 patients is that multidisciplinary care, massage, and touch therapy were more effective than treating patients with traditional antipsychotic drugs.

A study offers added evidence that if a premature baby is medically stable, the age-old practice of holding the tiny child – skin to skin, heartbeat to heartbeat – might well do some good. As a survey of more than 100 previous studies, it found that overall, the skin-to-skin cradling widely known as “kangaroo mother care” may cut a premature, low-birth-weight baby’s risk of death by 36 percent.

A study of older Britons found that loneliness was twice as unhealthy as obesity, and that lonely people aged 50 and older were twice as likely to die as their nonlonely peers. Given their increased risk for both loneliness as well as age-related health problems, older people need more touch – not less.

A US ethological study coded the touch behavior of players from the National Basketball Association (NBA) during the 2008–2009 season. Consistent with hypotheses, early-season touch predicted greater performance for both individuals and teams later in the season.