Touch has become a taboo in so many areas of our lives. We're expected not to have physical contact at work, teachers don't touch their students. But if the overall tendency is to question the appropriateness of touch, its potential for good can often be overlooked.
In everyday circumstances a reassuring hand on the shoulder or rub on the back can offer emotional support. But in other more extreme cases touch can improve chances of survival. Research into premature babies has shown that even the most delicate need to be handled regularly and that massage can dramatically improve development.
Philippa Budgen went to the neo-natal unit at St Mary's Hospital in London which is at the forefront of promoting touch for premature babies.
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