We can all agree that the best place for a baby is the arms of its parents , because as we have commented previously in Babies and more , arms are a basic need of the baby, such as eating or sleeping.
But in addition to providing warmth and affection, our arms have another effect on babies, because according to a recent study, hugs from mom or dad (compared to other people’s) are the best relaxant for a baby.
Perhaps it is nothing that we did not know or intuit as mothers and fathers, but it is always good when science confirms that the practices that we usually do by instinct, are really effective. And the most recent has been to verify that hugs from parents have a relaxing effect on babies .
Published in the journal iScience, the study carried out by Japanese researchers analyzed the response of heart rate in babies under one year of age to hugs from their parents , comparing it with the response of the same when being held by other people.
As we know, hugs have healing powers: they provide us with peace, comfort, warmth, containment, and physical contact. All of this forms a combination that is unmatched, making them one of the most effective methods of providing peace of mind in times of stress.
And although hugs among adults can be well received when they come from practically anyone we know, in the case of babies, it is the hugs from mom and dad that really have that relaxing and reassuring effect.
For sample, the results of the study, which found that babies four months of age and older showed increased heartbeat intervals when held by their parents, compared to being held by a stranger. That is, they calm down and experience a state of relaxation .
But in addition to verifying that hugs from fathers and mothers are the best relaxant for babies, with this study it is discovered that babies are able to recognize their parents with a hug from four months of age , as this did not happen with babies under that age.
Without a doubt and as we have said on several occasions, holding a baby does not spoil it, but quite the opposite: the hugs from mom and dad provide security, warmth and love , three essential things for every baby, and that we can continue to contribute even when they have ceased to be.
Photo | Unsplash
Via | Daily Mail
In Babies and more | Carrying your baby in your arms is better for him than you imagine and science confirms it. Why do I keep holding my daughter when she asks for it even though she is not so young? Does parenting end when our children leave? to be babies?
