The benefits of babywearing are set to be celebrated next week. Carrying your baby in a sling can reduce the risk of postnatal depression and help baby and carer feel great.
As part of International Babywearing Week, from 4 to 10 October, parents and carers are being urged to re-visit the tradition to discover its many advantages.
Here are five reason why parents should consider carrying their baby in a sling.
1. Improved bonding and attachment
Keeping your baby physically close to you, through the use of a woven wrap, is well known to improve bonding and attachment through the release of oxytocin, which can then reduce feelings of anxiety and postnatal depression. A hormone that is closely related to bonding and attachment, oxytocin is produced through skin to skin contact and close interaction and has an important role in encouraging nurturing feelings and a sense of belonging.
2. Enhanced development
Carrying your child in a sling also encourages constant touch and interaction, not only from parents and carers but also from other adults. Through the use of woven wraps, babies and toddlers can observe the world around them, absorbing colours, movements, sounds and facial expressions, all while feeling secure and comforted close to their loved one. Babies who have more interaction are proven to have a more stimulated brain, leading to enhanced development.
3. Accelerated brain maturation
The value of ‘positive touch’ is also becoming apparent in the development of young children, with research showing that almost constant touch positively impacts the developing brain. Additional research has also shown that babywearing encourages accelerated brain maturation, and that the more babies experience this the more their brains develop.
4. Reduced crying
Through the comfort and close environment of babywearing, where babies can hear their carers heartbeat which mimics the sounds of being in the womb, there is a reduced incidence of young children crying. According to research, babies who are carried for only one or two hours a day cry 43% less overall, and 54% less in the evening hours.
5. Lowered instances of colic and reflux
Additional benefits of babywearing also include a reduction in symptoms of colic and reflux, due to the upright position and close contact between child and parent. Alongside this are the benefits of a healthy bone development as a result of the position babies are in while being carried, as well as helping to develop their core strength and physical development.
Oscha Slings is the first jacquard woven sling company in Great Britain. For more information and to view the variety of products available visit oschaslings.com
