Feb/March 2001
It
Does Pay to Fight
by Jackie Alan Guiliano
Bipartisanship
at the Expense of the Citizenry
by Howard Zinn
The
Greens Great Opportunity
by Blair Bobier
DLC
Says Gore's Presidential Bid Ruined by Populist Message: Others Disagree
by Brian Hansen
Letter
from Porto Alegre
by Norman Solomon
Doing
the Right Things, Without Making Someone Wrong
by John Darling
Globalization
From Below
by Jeremy Brecher, Tim Costello & Brendan Smith
Book
Review by Suzi Aufderheide
No Logo: Money, Marketing and the Growing Anti-Corporate Movement
by Naomi Klein
Book
Review by Gerry Cavanaugh
Hannibal
by Thomas Harris
Money
Talks
by Kayla Starr
America's
Food Safety Crisis Intensifies
by Ronnie Cummins
Coming
Home
by Jesse Wolf Hardin
The
Secret of the Valentines Angel
by Peter Melton
A
Prescription for Well-Being
by Peter Moore
Age-old
Concepts Benefit Modern Babies
by Pamela Jorrick
Cancer:
An Unexpected Way to the New Being
By Royal E. Alsup, Ph.D.
Book
Review by Kent Shew
Quantum Touch
by Richard Gordon
Cosmic
Calendar
By Salina Rain
Age-old
Concepts Benefit Modern Babies
By Pamela Jorrick
Recent research has confirmed that carrying infants throughout the day has definite psychological and health advantages over placing them in mechanized carriers for extended periods. A randomized controlled test in Pediatrics showed that carrying babies reduced crying and fussiness by 43% during the day and 51% at night. Less frustrated babies (and less frustrated parents) are also less often the victims of child abuse. Some level of distress is inevitable and unavoidable for the newborn, but excessive irritability places extra demands on their parents and caregivers. The ability to calm an infant is important for parent/infant attachment. A calmer, less irritable infant feeds better, is more socially responsive, and more likely to develop better parent/infant relationships.
Studies with monkeys have shown those deprived of touch have more difficulty coping with stress than those who are held do. Stress is known to cause diseases in humans. Carried babies see and experience the world, they cry less, learn more, and thrive better because they are less bored, and more relaxed and secure.
Clinical studies have also shown that frequent carrying makes a baby less prone to undesirable addictions. Insecurity makes humans less able to cope with life's trials appropriately and they may eventually develop unhealthy addictions. Additionally, carrying infants protects them from too much environmental stimuli. According to Dr. Brazelton, a renowned expert on infants, each infant has a threshold for stimulus which can be used for organization and learning. Stimulation which exceeds this threshold overloads the infant and sets up defenses, which are likely to be costly to future development.
Finding a way to meet infants needs, and still continue with daily tasks is important to busy modern parents, and many are discovering the sling, which does not place the babyâs spine in a compromising manner by putting a newborn in an upright position before they are ready to sit up on their own, preventing undue stress and weight on the base of the spine and developing vertebrae. Slings have been used by almost every culture on our planet for thousands of years, and have the advantage of being one of the most versatile carriers one can use. Your baby can be carried in a variety of positions as he/she grows, including horizontal cradle, front facing, belly to belly, hip carry or on the back. Carrying a baby provides contact pressure, motion, pleasure, warmth, security, and sound similar to the womb that the newborn nervous system requires and thrives on. A sling can be used with a newborn baby and up to 3 years old, or as long as the parent would naturally carry the child.
As a mother of two young children I know first hand the benefits of baby wearing, which allows me a lot of flexibility as well as the added bonus of discreet nursing. My 3-year-old still likes to sit in the sling on my hip or back, and with my baby, who always likes to be carried, it has been a huge help for me. He's happy÷and I can still get things done!
Despite loud protests from our children, manufacturers keep coming up with new mechanical gadgets and systems to entertain babies and keep them separate from us. Ultimately the most effective way to connect with our babies is simple. There is no substitute for loving human contact.
Pamela Jorrick lives in the mountains of Humboldt County with her husband, children, and animals. She works from her home in Maple Creek and can be reached at (707) 599-3081 or on the web at www.mamasnature.com.
