Science Proves You Can't Hold Your Baby Too Much
Infants and toddlers are the eye candy of their father and mother. They are not just cute little bundles of joy but also irresistible. And there is no denying the fact that parents can never have enough of them.
However, as a parent, you may have often received flak from your relatives on holding your baby too much. But thanks to the new research in science, there is no such thing as holding your eye candy too much.
Science Backs It!
According to recent scientific research, the touch from a mother is quite momentous during the early stages of child development. It is crucial not just for the overall well-being of an infant but also for a majority of their brain development. The research comes from the Children’s Hospital based in Ohio that studied the early stages of development of premature babies. The analysis included over 125 infants and babies whose response to gentle touch by mothers was studied vigorously.
Backed by science, the result reflected that premature baby had diminished responses to touch as compared to fully grown infants. Moreover, the premature baby who underwent a specific painful medical therapy also demonstrated diminished responses to touch by their mother. The results might seem a little disappointing for parents at first. But in addition to this, there was more good news coming around the way for mothers of premature babies and toddlers.
Science also suggested that touch from parents or caregivers was crucial for receiving a response from babies. The premature babies who were touched more often by their mother or father demonstrated an unusual reaction. There was a record higher response to touch in these babies as compared to those who did not receive gentle touch often.
A Baby requires gentle touch from a caregiver such as a mother for various reasons. Dr. Nathalie Maitre, a lead researcher, suggests this importance of touch in infants. She highlighted that skin-to-skin contact, which is also known as Kangaroo care comes with various benefits for premature as well as grown babies. This Kangaroo therapy helps in proper brain development of babies and makes them feel safe and sound. The reason premature baby need it more than fully grown babies is due to the lack of the time spent in mother’s womb. The gentle touch provided to them is similar to that of the entire feel inside the mother’s womb.
Kangaroo Touch
If you still have questions about skin to skin contact, here are some benefits of the Kangaroo touch:
- It helps in reducing the baby’s stress, thus making them feel calm.
- Skin-to-skin contact can help babies achieve more extended hours of sleep, crucial to their development.
- Kangaroo touch boosts mom’s milk production, making it easier for newborn to breastfeed.
- Mothers can also ease their stress levels with kangaroo touch. There is also a much-reduced risk of postpartum depression.
However, it is possible that parents are unable to provide the children with adequate gentle touch requirements. In such cases, the hospital and therapists can assist in the planned touch for the baby.
Meanwhile, you can ignore advice on excessively holding your baby and tell them that science backs you. So, cuddle and hug your baby as much as you can and help them feel safe and affectionate with your presence.