Babywearing is good for Babies…
Carried babies…
• Cry less! Babies who are carried cry 43% less overall and 54% less during evening hours.[1]
• Are Healthier! They gain weight faster, have better motor skills, coordination, increased muscle tone, and sense of balance. [2, 5, 7]
• Get a great view!
• Are Confident! Carried babies are confident and less clingy than babies who are not carried. [3]
• Sleep Better! Babies who are carried fall asleep more quickly and sleep for longer periods of time. [4]
• Learn More! Carried babies spend more time in the calm and alert state, observing and taking in the world around them. [5]
• Are Happier! They feel loved and secure. [6]
…and it’s good for Caregivers, too!
Carrying your baby or toddler…
• Enables you to communicate with your baby (without your baby having to cry!) as you become attuned to your baby’s facial expressions and other gestures.
• Creates confident parents- it’s a great feeling when your baby is calm and content because you have met all of his or her needs.
• Is convenient! no more dealing with heavy plastic car seats or trying to navigate crowds with a stroller!
• Allows you to safe go pretty much anywhere with your baby, regardless of terrain: you can stroll cobblestone streets, skip across streams, walk on the beach, or climb mountains!
• Is healthy for you! Babywearing encourages you to get out and exercise with your little one.
• Makes discreet nursing possible while on the go – no more looking for a place to sit!
• Helps you to care for your other children while holding your little one close at the same time.
References
1 Kostandy et al., “Kangaroo Care (Skin Contact) Reduces Crying
Response to Pain in Preterm Neonates: Pilot Results,” Pain
Management Nursing 2008: 9:55-65
2 Lawn et al., “‘Kangaroo Mother Care’ to Prevent Neonatal Deaths
Due to Preterm Birth Complications,”International Journal of
Epidemiology” 2010: April.
3 Whiting, J.M.W., “Environmental Constraints on Infant Care
Practices”. In Handbook of Cross-Cultural Human Development
edited by R.H. Munroe, R.L. Munroe & B.B. Whiting, New York:
Garland STPM Press, 2005.
4 Ferber et al., “The Effect of Skin-to-Skin Contact (Kangaroo Care)
Shortly After Birth on the Neurobehavioral Responses of the Term
Newborn: A Randomized, Controlled Trial.” Pediatrics 113 2004:
858-865.
5 Charpak, N., “Kangaroo Mother Care: 25 Years After,” Acta
Paediatric 94 2005: 5, 514-522.
6 Powell, A. “Harvard Researchers Say Children Need Touching and
Attention,” Harvard Gazette.
7 Ludington-Hoe, S. “Kangaroo Care: The Best You Can Do to Help
Your Preterm Infant.” New York: Bantam Books, 1993.
8 Feldman et al. “Testing a Family Intervention Hypothesis: The
Contribution of Mother-Infant Skin-to-Skin contact (kangaroo
care) to Family Interaction, Proximity, and Touch,” 2003 March
Journal of Family Psychology. Vol. 17, 94-107
9 Furman, L. “Correlates of Lactation of Very Low Birth Weight
Infants,” 2002 Pediatrics Vol. 109 (4) 57
10 Ludington-Hoe, S. “Breast Infant Temperature with Twins during
shared Kangaroo Care,” 2006 Journal of Obstetric , Gynecologic
and Neonatal Nursing, 35 (2) 223-231
11 McCain, G et al. “Heart Rate Variability Responses of a
Preterm Infant to Kangaroo Care,” 2005 Journal of Obstetrics,
Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 34 (6), 689-694.
12 Messmer P. et al., “Effect of Kangaroo Care on Sleep Time for
Neonates,” 1997 Pediatr. Nurs. 23, no. 4 408-414.
13 Tasker, A., Dettmar, P. W., Panetti, M., Koufman, J. A., Birchall, J. P.,
and Pearson, J. P. (2002). “Is gastric reflux a cause of otitis media
with effusion in children?” The Laryngoscope, 112:1930?1934.
