According To Research, There’s No Such Thing As Holding Your Baby Too Much

Jul 26, 2018

We've all heard the old wives' tale about holding your baby in excess and how it can lead to serious problems down the road for your child. Science has spoken - researchers suggest that it's ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE!

You've probably heard that holding babies too much makes them spoiled rotten. Your mom, grandma, friends, and others have probably told you this at least once before. After it all, the idea makes plenty of sense. However, recent research shows that babies can't be held too often or too long.

Academic researchers from none other than Vanderbilt University found that close skin-to-skin contact during infants' youngest years is very important. As a matter of fact, babies who are held for longer than their not-so-lucky counterparts have more advanced brain development. The research was published in the highly-regarded academic journal Current Biology.

Doctoral degree-holding academicians and their practicing physician coworkers conducted the study at Ohio's Nationwide Children's Hospital. 125 cute full-term and preemie infants were involved.

Here's how the work started - first, the researchers found that preemies didn't respond to touch as well as their fully-grown pals. Preemies who had to undergo painful surgeries didn't respond as well, either.

This important study might have started off simple, but it didn't end that way. In actuality, tons of mothers and neonatal wards will be loving on babies more than ever.

Next, the researchers discovered something else; babies who had been gently handled more - parents or staff members could administer the touch interchangeably without any different results - than other preemies or full-term infants responded more strongly.

Dr. Nathalie Maitre, the study's leading researcher, wrote that the above findings could be interpreted as such: the increased holding times with infants leads to faster brain development.

Are you worried that your baby will feel left behind because you haven't held him or her enough already? Don't worry! Maitre also said that touching babies more at any point during infancy proves beneficial to their precious brains.

Remember - the more babies are held, the more their brains grow.

Hospitals should also encourage parents and staff members alike to hold their babies as much as possible.

Were you a smart baby? If so, your parents, family members, hospital staff members, and others may have held you more than your not-so-smart peers. Are any of your friends super-smart? Do you think they were held more as a baby? Pass this article on and ask them!

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with a doctor.