| In 1920 a popular New York pediatrician reported a | | | | and increased the amount of alpha waves (associated |
| startling and heartbreaking problem: Institutionalized | | | | with contentment and bliss) in the brain. |
| babies were dying. In fact, ALL institutionalized babies | | | | When a infant is distressed, she does not have the |
| were dying. The death rate was 100% for children | | | | ability to calm herself. If she is left alone her brain will |
| under 2. What was happening? They had shelter. | | | | release toxic stress hormones, like cortisol, the positive |
| They had food. Their diapers were changed. They | | | | opioids are withdrawn, and she will become |
| were otherwise healthy. So what was the missing link? | | | | "hyper-aroused". This is not a good arousal. If infants |
| The missing link was touch. These babies received little | | | | experience frequent periods of uncomforted distress, |
| to no touch and caring, and thus could not thrive. The | | | | their brains become wired to be in state of panic and |
| surprising (or not so suprising) truth is that babies | | | | anxiety. It takes the touch and comfort of a calm adult |
| REQUIRE touch, love and cuddles to survive. Touch is | | | | for her brain to release the chemicals that make her |
| the only sense a child cannot live without. Deaf children | | | | feel content again. In fact a growing body of research |
| will survive, blind children will survive, but unless a child | | | | indicates the infants who experience long periods of |
| can touch and be touched, he will die. | | | | crying alone, actually have different brain development |
| Now I'm guessing our ancestors never worried about | | | | patterns, and can develop a constant feeling of |
| giving their children an adequate amount of touch. | | | | anxiety, even when safe. It isn't actually the crying that |
| Babies were carried and held because that's how | | | | is the problem. It is uncomforted crying that can affect |
| mammals do it. Evolution made it so. The safest place | | | | brain development. So if holding your baby doesn't |
| for babies was in the arms of a caretaker. In many | | | | produce immediate relief, don't worry. Know that your |
| traditional hunter-gatherer societies like those observed | | | | calm presence is having an effect on his brain, even if |
| in The Continuum Concept, babies are held constantly | | | | the immediate effects aren't obvious. |
| in the first six months of life. In Bali, at the age of 3-6 | | | | Science has given us the information we need to |
| months, families will perform a ground-touching | | | | create optimal brain development for our children. Let's |
| ceremony to celebrate the first time a baby's feet | | | | let go of antiquated notions that have been proven |
| touch the ground. Humans aren't the only species that | | | | untrue. Babies don't manipulate in the conventional |
| need copious amounts of touch. In his famous studies | | | | sense, they don't have the ability to! They aren't even |
| in the sixties, Dr. Harry Harlow found that rhesus | | | | capable of clear thought. Babies cry to be held |
| monkeys preferred softer, cloth covered dummy | | | | because their brains require it. It is a system completely |
| mothers to wire ones, and in times of distress | | | | beyond their control. Loving touch from a parent or |
| preferred the cloth dummy if it offered no food, even if | | | | caregiver is necessary and beneficial for infant brain |
| food was available with the wire dummy. | | | | development. The more the better! Of course this |
| Science offers an explanation for this innate need for | | | | doesn't mean you must hold your babies constantly. |
| touch that mammals have. It has to do with the "drug | | | | And it doesn't mean your life has to be drastically |
| store" in our brains. Certain chemicals in our brains, for | | | | inconvenienced. Babywearing, the art of carrying a |
| example oxytocin and opioids, create a sense of calm | | | | baby in a sling or pouch, is a fantastic way to provide |
| and content, and the ability to handle stress well. But | | | | the closeness that babies need. It's actually MUCH less |
| the only way to activate these chemicals in the human | | | | physically taxing than carrying around a huge carseat |
| brain is through loving human touch! Research with | | | | carrier. Slings and wraps are becoming much more |
| other mammals indicated that the more physical | | | | popular these days and are even available at chain |
| contact infants had with their mothers the less fearful | | | | stores like Target and Babies R Us. |
| and the more confident they were. They were also | | | | Most of us are not able to hold our babies constantly. |
| more mentally healthy later in life and were calmer and | | | | In traditional societies, babies are often cared for by |
| more attentive with their babies, and coped well with | | | | multiple caregivers including children as young as 3 |
| the stress of unfamiliar environments. Dr. Henry Chapin, | | | | years old. So this is article isn't suggesting that mothers |
| the famous pediatrician who made the observation | | | | are required to be with their children 24/7. I'll be the first |
| about institutionalized children, also found that animals | | | | to admit that I've had to set my baby in her crib while |
| who did not receive enough touch tended to be | | | | she cried to let myself "cool off." In fact, if a parent is |
| frequently tense and exhibited impulsive, anxious, | | | | not calm, this is the best option, as a upset parent |
| irritable and aggressive behavior. | | | | doesn't have the same calming effect. I'm simply |
| Research consistently confirms how critical touch is to | | | | suggesting that we recognize that physical touch is a |
| human development. Our skin and brain develop from | | | | need, not a want, particularly for the developing human |
| the same embryonic tissue and some scientists even | | | | brain. Babies and children's lives are filled with enough |
| consider skin to be the "outer layer of the brain". In | | | | stresses naturally, without creating unnecessary stress |
| Colombia, the phenomenon of 'kangaroo care' (periods | | | | trying to "train" them to be independent before they |
| of skin-to-skin contact) was invented out of necessity | | | | are ready. So when you've fed your baby and you've |
| to keep premature infants warm, but doctors noticed | | | | changed his diaper and all his needs seem to be met, |
| some other positive side effects: the death rate which | | | | yet he is still distressed, remember touch is just |
| had at once been 70% for premature infants, dropped | | | | another need, like food or shelter, and sooner than |
| dramatically. Doctors found that skin-to-skin contact | | | | you'll be ready, he won't be a baby anymore and won't |
| regulated the babies' heart rates and breathing, and | | | | need you as much. Infancy is one of the most |
| helped them to gain weight more easily. Additionally, | | | | precious, profound times of a child's life. I recommend |
| researchers found that preemies who received | | | | soaking it up. To learn more about touch and infant |
| kangaroo care had brain development patterns in 10 | | | | brain development check out The Science of |
| minutes that was equal to 4 weeks of development in | | | | Parenting by Margot Sunderland and I Love You |
| preemies who received normal care. They found that | | | | Rituals by Becky A. Bailey, Ph.D. |
| skin-to-skin contact helped develop neural synapses | | | | |