Woman swings baby from neck as part of shocking ‘baby massage’
Larissa Orynbasarovna claims her unorthodox technique can ‘heal’ babies with disabilities
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Your support makes all the difference.A woman has been filmed dangling a baby from its ankles and swinging it from its neck as she performs a startling ‘baby massage’.
Larissa Orynbasarovna, a 35-year-old woman from Almaty, Kazakhstan, has been working as a professional certified masseur for 11 years.
She claims that her unconventional massaging method, during which she alternates hanging a baby from its legs, arms and neck and vigorously swinging it around, can heal infants with disabilities.
“I help children,” said Ms Orynbasarovna, who teaches students as part of her work as a masseur.
“I’ve worked with so many babies over the years, many with disabilities like neck curl or crooked feet.
“My massage heals them.”
Despite its shocking nature, the ‘baby massage’ has allegedly become popular in Kazakhstan with ‘professionals’ charging parents 3000 KZT (£7) for their babies to receive the treatment for 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
In the video clip that shows an example of Ms Orynbasarovna carrying out the ‘baby massage’ she begins by holding the baby boy from his ankles and making him bend his legs as she swings him from side to side.
She then holds him upright before making him flip upside down while holding him by the arms.
Ms Orynbasarovna then proceeds to rapidly pull the baby’s arms up and down, which appears to make his head jerk upwards.
After swinging the baby from side to side again while grasping his wrists, she then briefly turns him upside down once more before flipping him upside down for a second time.
In the last portion of the video, Ms Orynbasarovna takes hold of the baby boy by firmly holding his cheeks, making his entire body swing from the neck.
The sparked a backlash among social media users when posted online.
“You’re not supposed to handle a baby like that,” wrote Danielle Marie. “You don’t dangle and toss them around like that… their bones are still growing and are fragile.”
Kingsley Daniels described the ‘baby massage’ as “torture”, while Ana Cucicea commented that it was “the silliest thing ever done to a baby!”
According to the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), baby massages can be utilised to bond with your baby and to soothe them.
In contrast to Ms Orynbasarovna’s technique, the NCT recommends gently caressing your baby with a small amount of oil while ensuring that the infant’s body is sufficiently supported in a comfortable position.
The organisation also states that you must check whether the baby’s skin will have an adverse reaction to the oil and stop massaging if the youngster becomes upset or falls asleep.
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