Babywearing Boosts Brain Development: The Science Behind a Closer Connection and Smarter Babies
How can we begin to quantify the extraordinary benefits of babywearing? This ancient practice, essential to parenting for thousands of years, has stood the test of time for compelling reasons. While our ancestors wore their babies primarily for safety and necessity, they may not have realized the profound impact it has on cognitive development. In our modern world, babywearing remains a nurturing and practical choice for parents and its continued popularity speaks to its effectiveness in fostering secure attachment, emotional well-being, and cognitive growth in infants.
Research shows that the way babies are cared for in the first few years of their lives lays the foundation for their personality, future relationships, and overall wellness: “Infancy is a crucial time for brain development. It is vital that babies and their parents are supported during this time to promote attachment. Without a good initial bond, children are less likely to grow up to become happy, independent and resilient adults,” (Winston & Chicot, 2016). Every minute of cuddling, rocking, and babywearing wires our babies’ brains for improved health and happiness. It’s that simple and that profound.
Let’s explore 5 ways that babywearing boosts brain development:
Helps strengthen the parent-child bond
Babies want (need!) to be close to their mom, dad, or primary caregiver. Time with our babies to bond and meet their needs is called attachment, and healthy attachment is absolutely essential for the wellbeing and future happiness of children: “The evidence on the powerful role of loving nurture in the emotional, social and cognitive development of children is powerful. Parenting is therefore more important than we could ever have imagined,” (Winston & Chicot, 2016). Babywearing also gives parents more opportunity to interact with their baby through communication, smiles, laughter, and affection; all of these moments strengthen our bond and build trust.
The comfort of our closeness while babywearing makes babies feel safe and secure, which allows their brain to focus on learning, rather than surviving. For example, if a baby is cold, all his energy will go towards crying to alert his caregiver and towards trying to warm up his little body. Similarly, if a baby is hungry or scared, she cannot think about learning about the world around her because her sole focus is getting her basic needs met. Babies are completely dependent on us, and when we meet their needs through the responsive, nurturing act of babywearing, their brains are wired to learn more and thrive.
Improves social and emotional learning:
Inward babywearing allows babies to have a front and center view of mom (or dad or other caregivers), and outward babywearing gives babies a view of everything mom is doing, including those she’s interacting with. Either position provides a view of different facial expressions and body language, which contributes to a better understanding of non-verbal communication and social cues. “Even before acquiring language, babies learn to communicate through emotions. One may argue that knowing emotional regulation and impulse control may determine later success in life more than IQ,” (Malik, 2022).
Think about all the emotions you experience throughout your day and the emotions of your family members. When you keep your baby close by babywearing, she gets to experience it all with you and learn from what she sees. Your baby also feels what you feel, so your stress impacts your baby, as does your happiness and the way you regulate these emotions. It’s so true that our children are like sponges and mirrors, they soak up what they see and experience, and then mirror what they learn from us.
Can enhance speech development:
Babies love to hear their mom, dad, and other family members talk. Babywearing makes it simple to talk to your baby, or just for your baby to hear you talk to those around you. Talk about anything and everything, such as your plans for the day, about what you see on your walk, and about how absolutely adorable your baby is. Who’s the cutest baby in the world? You are!
The sound of your voice is so familiar and comforting, and the more you talk, the more words your baby will learn. Even if your baby is far from talking, her growing brain is firing off hundreds of connections a second and processing what is happening around her. Singing to your baby and reading to her is equally as beneficial. According to UNICEF, you should immerse your baby in speech, particularly in baby talk. So, that cutesy way of talking to your baby is actually very helpful. The positive emotions and exaggerated, sing-song sounds of baby talk alert your baby to pay closer attention and prepare her brain for the task of learning language.
Increases learning opportunities:
Picture this: In addition to caring for your baby, your plans for the morning include: responding to work emails, making breakfast, drinking coffee, and playing with your dog outside. Option One is to lay your baby down in the crib while you accomplish these tasks. In the crib, your baby has the ceiling to look at and maybe a mobile hanging above it. Option Two is to place your baby in your Happy Baby Carrier, and take him along for the ride. In his baby carrier he hears the sound of your keyboard, watches you cook eggs, smells your hazelnut coffee brewing, and then soaks up some sunshine underneath the blue sky. Which scenario is more stimulating, educational, and nurturing for your baby? He heard a bird chirping, felt the softness of your dog’s fur coat, and learned infinitely more about the world around him in Option Two. All of your baby's senses were stimulated, and the best part is that he got to be snuggled next to you during his little adventure. Research states that “from very early on, children are not simply passive observers, registering the superficial appearance of things. Rather, they are building explanatory systems—implicit theories—that organize their knowledge,” (Allen, 2015).
Boosts breastfeeding success:
As if babywearing could get any better! According to a study conducted in 2012, the use of baby carriers can increase the duration of breastfeeding. 200 moms participated in the study, and 100 were given a baby carrier and training on how to use it. The results showed that the group who received baby carriers breastfed their babies significantly more than the control group. This is important because “breastfeeding is associated with significantly improved cognitive development from infancy to adolescence,” (Lee et al., 2016). There are many reasons that babywearing can improve your breastfeeding success, starting with proximity. If a baby is snuggled close to mom, mom’s warmth and scent can initiate her baby’s desire to nurse. Likewise, when mom is close to her baby, she can better read hunger cues and respond more quickly. Simply put, a breastfeeding relationship is more in sync when mom and baby are in sync, and there’s no better or more convenient way to stay connected than with babywearing.
Happy Baby understands the profound importance of babywearing, not just for its practical benefits but also for the critical role it plays in your baby's development. Extensive research highlights the vital connection between close, nurturing contact and healthy growth, affirming what many parents instinctively know: babies thrive when they are close to their responsive, affectionate parents. We are proud to support the wellness of families with our lightweight baby carrier, designed to effortlessly keep your baby close wherever you go.
Stay tuned for more information about how babywearing provides benefits for mom and dad as well!
Sources:
Allen, L. (2015, July 23). Child development and early learning. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK310550/
Baby talk: Mini parenting master class. UNICEF Parenting. (n.d.). https://www.unicef.org/parenting/child-development/baby-talk-class
Lee, H., Park, H., Ha, E., Hong, Y.-C., Ha, M., Park, H., Kim, B.-N., Lee, B., Lee, S.-J., Lee, K. Y., Kim, J. H., Jeong, K. S., & Kim, Y. (2016, April 31). Effect of breastfeeding duration on cognitive development in infants: 3-year follow-up study. Journal of Korean medical science. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4810341/#:~:text=Breastfeeding%20provides%20nutritional%20and%20immunological,mother%20and%20infant%20(9).
Malik, F. (2022, September 18). Developmental stages of social emotional development in children. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534819/
Pisacane, A., Continisio, P., Filosa, C., Tagliamonte, V., Continisio GI; (2012, July 16). Use of baby carriers to increase breastfeeding duration among term infants: The effects of an educational intervention in Italy. Acta paediatrica. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22734604/
Winston, R., & Chicot, R. (2016, February 24). The importance of early bonding on the long-term mental health and resilience of children. London journal of primary care. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5330336/