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Colin Sure Start, Belfast

Science proves that you can't hold your baby too much

21st Apr 2017

A new study shows that cuddling your baby (early and often!) has huge benefits when it comes to brain development, especially for preemies.

Good news for all of us with that one friend or family member who likes to scold us for "spoiling" our babies by holding them too often. According to a new study, you can't EVER cuddle your newborn too much. And in fact, touch is crucial to a baby's development and actually has some pretty major benefits when it comes to brain development.

Researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio observed 125 premature and full-term infants to see how they responded to gentle touch and here's what they found: Premature babies were more likely to have a reduced response to touch than the full-term babies. And the preemies who had more exposure to painful medical procedures were also more likely to have a reduced response to touch.

 

Click here for the full article.