[Photo by Zou Hong / China Daily]

Her daughter is 6 years old now, and years of TCM massage has improved her health.

She is taller and looks healthier than her peers, and is less vulnerable to mosquito-bite dermatitis than she used to be, Zhu says.

"Massage doesn't upset the child's stomach and has no side effects or potential long-term risk," Zhu says.

"Besides, it is comfortable, and my daughter enjoys it. Sometimes she will ask for it if I forget."

Tang Dan, the young mother in Beijing, also gives regular TCM pediatric massage to her boy at home to help his digestion and sleep. Her husband was once fiercely against the suggestion of going to a TCM hospital, but now he is supportive, Tang says.

While the treatment enjoys increasing acceptance among the public, many people are still skeptical, according to Cui Xia, the TCM specialist.

Cui says it is advisable to consult a specialist before people massage children themselves. TCM massage emphasizes individualized application of techniques and acupressure points, and sometimes it can be harmful - or ineffective - to massage children without expertise or instruction.