Debunking myths about carrying your baby in a sling cont...

I'm a great believer in listening to your self - mothers in particular have strong instincts - learn to trust them and you won't go far wrong in my opinion.

What I like about these scientific studies is that they can confirm what you already instintively know to be true. The other benefit is that you can use them to counter any negativity that you may come across during your babywearing days.

Most people find that family and friends and complete strangers are supportive when they see how happy your baby is in the sling. However, if you wear your baby frequently you may have comments like "You'll spoil your baby if you carry her all the time", "She'll never learn to be independent" or any other such comments.

One comment I've heard was directed at Kate Hudson who was happily chatting to her 2-3yr old daughter while wearing her in a ring sling. "Isn't it time her daughter was walking?" I find that silly because obviously she could walk! Now, do you think that if she was pushing her daughter in a pushchair they would have said the same thing?

Of course not!

So to help you deal with potential criticism from well meaning but misinformed people here are some interesting facts and the studies that support them that you can quote if you like!

If you carry your baby often you can expect him to:

cry less & reduce colic: Studies (1)(2) have proved that the more babies are held the less they cry. One study showed that babies who were carried for a few hours a day cried and fussed 43% less on average than the non-carried group. If you have a colicky baby as I had, you'll know that early evening is the worst time for colicky episodes. This study showed that the carried babies cried 54% less on average during the evening. Another study (3) has shown that when a baby cries his nervous system becomes flooded with stress hormones, which can have detrimental long-term effects. Babies (4) that don't cry much in the first few months cry less as toddlers so it makes sense to carry your baby as much as you can when it's easy to do it - when they are young! It'll make your life much easier and more enjoyable when your baby grows up.

sleep better: Carrying your baby in a sling helps to organize and regulate your baby's systems. One of the effects this has is to help babies sleep for longer (5) as well as help them learn the difference between daytime naps and nighttime sleep. Your baby may quickly fall asleep when carried in the sling as mine have done. You can let him nap in the sling while you get on with something else during the day or you can 'wear' him to sleep in the evening and then lay him down on his bed for the night (or for a few hours at least!)

be more calm and content: Your baby was quite happy and content being safely cocooned and carried with you for 9 months until birth. If you compare humans to other mammals we are actually born 9 months early! So, what you can do is to create an exterogestational period (6) for your baby so he can continue to feel safe and secure and be happy and content. You can in effect create an external womb with the sling. By being close to you it will help him to regulate his breathing, heart rate, body temperature and other regulatory systems.

feed better and gain weight faster: Babies who are held feed more often than those who are not (7). Premature babies who are touched and held are healthier and put on weight quicker than those who are not (8)(9). Babies who have reflux benefit from being carried upright and tend to spit up less, improving their digestion.

develop better: The constant touching and motion from carrying your baby improves your baby's development. (10) Balance, muscle development and motor skills improve. The risk of positional plagiocephaly is reduced. (11) Carrying your baby in the correct position is a way hip dysplasia is treated (12) and in some cases prevented. Correct carrying is good for your baby's hip development.

learn better: Your baby's brain and nervous system will develop better when carried, he'll be more attentive and spend more time in the quiet alert state. (13)(14)

(1) Hunziker, UA, and Barr RG 1986. "Increased carrying reduces infant crying: a randomized controlled trial". Pediatrics 77: 641-8. (2) Barr RG, McMullan SJ, Spiess H et al. 1991. "Carrying as colic 'therapy': a randomized controlled trial." Pediatrics 87:623-30 (3) Powell A, "Children need touching and attention, Harvard researchers say." Harvard Gazette April 9, 1998. (4) Van Ijsendoorn MH, Hubbard FO, 2000. "Are infant crying and maternal responsiveness during the first year related to infant mother attachment at 15 months?" Attach Hum Dev 2(3): 371-91. (5) Chwo MJ, Anderson GC, Good M, Dowling DA, Shiau SH, Chu DM, 2002 "A randomized controlled trial of early kangaroo care for preterm infants:effects on temperature, weight, behaviour and acuity. J Nurse Res 10(2): 129-42. (6) Ashley Montague 1971 "Touching: The human significance of the skin". (7) James-Roberts I St, Hurry J, Bowyer J, Barr RG 1995. "Supplementary carrying compared with advice to increase responsive parenting as interventions to prevent persistent infant crying." Pediatrics 95:381-388. (8) Conde-Agudelo A, Diaz-Rossello JL, Balizan JM 2003. "Kangaroo mother care to reduce morbidity and mortality in low birthweight infants." Cochrane Database Syst Rev (2):CD002771 (9) Schanberg S, Field T 1987. "Sensory deprivation stress and supplementary stimulation in the rat pup and preterm neonate." Child Development 58:1431-1447. (10) Adamson-Macedo EN 1990. "The effects of touch on preterm and fullterm neonates and young children" J Reprod Infant Psychol 8 :267-273. (11) NHSDirect (12) Sponseller D 1994 "Bone, joint and muscle problems: Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip" pp 1018-1020 in Principles and Practices of Perdiatrics, Second Edition. Frank Osi et al, ed. Philadelphia JB Lippincott Company. (13) William Sears MD, Martha Sears, RN. 1993 "The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby From Birth To Age Two." Little Brown & Company. (14) Maria Blois MD 2005 "Babywearing: The benefits and beauty of this ancient tradition" Pharmasoft Publishing.