Nowadays, parents are educated on the importance of things like skin-to-skin contact for newborns and taught ways to encourage their development from birth. However, there are still some prevailing parenting myths from previous generations, including the belief that holding your baby too much will “spoil” it.
Many parents from previous generations were told not to hold their babies too much because it would “spoil” them.
However, a new study conducted by researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio found that holding and cuddling your baby has huge developmental impacts, especially in premature babies.
Researchers examined 125 premature and full-term infants.
For the study’s test, a puff of air was used to detect the babies’ responses to touch. Premature babies tended to have less of a reaction to the puff of air compared to full-term infants, unless those premature babies were touched or held regularly by their parents or caregivers.
Experts believe this indicates that early exposure to touch can have lasting impacts on cognitive development.
It might seem small, but these early exposures to touch actually develop emotional complex responses and help build relationships later in life, researchers said.
With the results of this study, researchers are hoping that they can find ways to increase the amount of touch for premature babies.
So go ahead, parents! Science says it’s good to snuggle those babies so you better get it in now before they grow up (which will happen before you know it).
