Q I HAVE a two-month-old baby who suffers from colic. My health visitor suggested I try baby massage. I have never heard of this before and wondered whether it could help the problem. Do you know of anyone running classes in the York area?

A HAVING a colicky baby can cause a lot of stress and negative feelings in the parent. Massage, however, can help with this problem, giving back parent some control over the situation.

There are massage techniques, which, when correctly taught to parents (it is also good for fathers to get involved too), can help to alleviate the discomfort of colic. The massage techniques work by stimulating the digestive tract which in turn helps to relieve trapped air. The techniques also help to process food in the intestines more efficiently.

Baby massage however, is not an instant cure and you may not have immediate results, so you do need to persevere and not give up if after the first attempt your baby is still crying. Every baby responds differently and it can take up to two weeks for the massage to have any effect. I would also like to say that baby massage is not only good for relieving colic, it has many other benefits, including promoting bonding, which is important for the new-born baby. It also stimulates the immune system helping to keep baby healthy.

Studies have even shown that babies who are regularly massaged are more intelligent and have better balance and co-ordination when they start school than children who have not been massaged.

There is a Baby Massage Course being run in Acomb, York. It is being taught by Jill Chatterton, an experienced teacher who trained with the International Association of Infant Massage. The course lasts for five weeks and will be run every Friday 10.30-11.30 am from September 14. Babies are taken from birth to six months old, or until crawling (crawling babies tend to disrupt the class). The cost of the course is £30.00. If you would like to attend the Baby Massage Class, contact Jill on Harrogate (01423) 817449.