Butterfly Touch massage as a technique to support opening up communication between parent and mechanically ventilated child at home

A child’s stay in a hospital intensive care unit is a challenging experience for both the child and his parents. It limits opportunities for contact with loved ones and requires compliance with medical procedures during the visit. Touch and contact with an adult may be associated by the child with discomfort and pain, on top of which the limited number of contacts may affect communication between them and the rebuilding of relationships. Returning a child home who is mechanically ventilated as a result of the effects of the disease causes his or her room to become, in part, a hospital room. The parents’ focus on adapting to the new situation can push the child’s needs for communication and relationship-building with other loved ones into the background. After learning how to operate medical equipment and getting used to it, caregivers look for ways to communicate, open up communication, and provide positive emotions and a cheerful touch to the child. Massage Touch Butterfly by Eva Reich can help with this.