Touch hunger: The feeling when the skin craves touch. Just as the stomach craves food and the lungs crave air, the skin needs pleasant touch. This book is about the connection between caressing, cuddling and mental health. How does the biology behind it work? Why is touch such a taboo? What happens when there is a chronic lack of cuddling? And most importantly, what can be done about it? Cuddle therapy is being studied as a solution to some of our civilization's diseases (depression, burnout, loneliness). What does it do, and whom can it help? "Help yourself" is the best motto. That's why in this book you'll find instructions and suggestions for self-cuddling when your skin feels hungry.

This book offers precise and highly informative instructions for nurses and caregivers on how to select external applications for various indications and how to perform them on children. It also enables readers to gain a deeper understanding of the skin, its functions and the therapeutic potential of external applications. The sense of touch is the first sensation that develops in the body during embryonal development; therefore, it is essential for orientation in the world from the beginning of life. The skin is known as the body's protective mantle. It is the largest sensory organ of the human body and plays a key role in perception, social interaction and health. Touch and external applications to the skin can have a lasting effect on overall health and wellbeing and contribute to the healing of various conditions in children. Through the skin, children react sensitively to external influences like natural active ingredients and touch. These mechanisms are particularly relevant with regard to the deep relationship between the skin and the organism as a whole. External applications use these mechanisms to support the health and healing processes in children. The book is intended for healthcare professionals interested in complementing conventional pediatric care with external applications, especially in daily use by nurses and caregivers. Nurses will find guidance from complementary medicine and care to deal with various indications occurring in various pediatric fields like pediatric surgery, psychiatry, oncology, intensive care, neonatology and during the phases of child development. In addition to the detailed descriptions of the application techniques, it provides insights into the theory behind external applications and explains the mechanisms of action. Furthermore, it includes case studies, scientific data and personal reports from experts.