timulation of thehe most sophisti-oreover, they are-I, this concept isorizes the child'stwo years, as theide a child withugh a structuredimplistic assump-)n. The author is:s as well as thosewho may initially:al necessity. The~n infant or youngdevelopment that,ies a niche of itsrse life-styles can)mote fitness andmd young child.Ph.D., O.T.Rledical CenterIntroduction A baby poses many questions to his or her parents. How do parents getto know this little person and facilitate his development? A mother's wish tolove and care for her baby does not necessarily give her the skill to encouragethe baby's development. Many young parents find themselves alone and awayfrom the support and guidance of the extended family. Some fathers find itstrange and feel uneasy picking up a baby, who appears so fragile. Frequentlyparents feel uncertain about how much to touch their infant and which exercisesmight be appropriate at which age. This book tells you how to learn and enjoy with your baby the de-velopment of his motor skills. The exercise and massage program developedby Tamara Meyer is the outgrowth of her work with children and parents overmany years, combined with her thorough research of exercise and massagepractices in several countries around the world. The book reflects her transla-tion of recent findings in child development and stress management into improv-ing the day-to-day life of parents and their children through exercise andmassage. She presents an in-depth discussion of the history and theories ofexercise and massage and takes parents step by step through an exercise andmassage program from infancy through the first five years of life. The bookdescribes how to go over each muscle group and how to achieve an evenbalance between working the muscle and relaxing it. The secret is that throughthe process of exertion the limits of strength are built up in the young body, thusthe child becomes more agile and better coordinated. Help Your Baby Build a Healthy Body encourages young parents togrow with their infant, to find ways of touching, massaging, and exercising theinfant and young child. This physical contact will become mutually enjoyableXbll