Science says you can’t hold your baby too much

My children were real snugglers.

They were literally attached to me all the time when they were babies. I had one particular friend who used to scold me for 'spoiling' them by holding them too often. She said they would never learn to settle themselves But a study has vindicated my own maternal theory. Research has shown that you can't ever cuddle your newborn too much. In fact, holding your baby in your arms is crucial to a baby's development and has some really fascinating advantages when it comes to their brain development. The study was carried out at the Children's hospital in Ohio and looked at premature babies as well as baby's who were born full term. It found that those preemie babies who were given a more gentle touch from their parents responded better than those who weren't held or touched as often. The lead researcher on the team was is Dr Nathalie Maitre:

"Making sure that preterm babies receive positive, supportive touch such as skin-to-skin care by parents is essential to help their brains respond to gentle touch in ways similar to those of babies who experienced an entire pregnancy inside their mother's womb"