Old-school advice to new moms was not to hold the baby too much because you’ll spoil them, or they should just cry themselves to sleep, or they’ll become too dependent on us. A new study, which is a follow-up of one done 20 years ago, was published in Pediatrics. It says, well, HOGWASH! (A rough translation.)
It was found that cuddling babies, especially that skin-to-skin contact–helps them thrive both physically and intellectually as they grow. Yes, intellectually. The study saw higher IQs in kids who had been cuddled as infants. Also, those cuddled kids were calmer and less aggressive and had fewer school absences. As adults, they even earned higher wages.
Caveat: The study was done only on premature babies. I don’t care, though. I think the warmth of a human touch, with children or adults, is medicine for a less-than-warm world.
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