- When babies are picked up and carried, their heart rate slows and they ‘automatically and deeply’ relax
- But this doesn’t happen when they are simply held
By
Anna Hodgekiss
10:59 EST, 17 April 2013
|
11:06 EST, 17 April 2013
The mystery of why a baby is soothed by being picked up has been unraveled by Japanese scientists.
New research not only confirms that babies deeply relax when they are carried, but goes on to explain the physiological processes at work.
They say that when babies are picked up and carried, their heart rate slows and they ‘automatically and deeply’ relax.
But this doesn’t happen when they are simply held, the study found.
Scientists have discovered that when babies are picked up and carried, their heart rate slows and they ‘automatically and deeply’ relax
The scientists behind the work say their study is the first to demonstrate that the a baby’s response to being carried is a coordinated set of nervous, motor
and cardiac regulations.
The researchers, from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute, say that picking up and carrying might be an evolutionarily, and essential, component of mother-baby interaction.
In experiments involving
ECG machines, which measure electrical activity of the heart, they found that babies’ heart rates slow down greatly as soon as they are picked up and carried.
Using a very small ECG
system, they were also able to observe the same
phenomenon in mice.Â
Both
human and mouse babies calm down and stop moving immediately after they
are carried, and mouse pups stop emitting ultrasonic cries.
But the calming effect doesn’t happen when babies are simply held
Mouse pups
also adopt the characteristic compact posture, with limbs flexed, seen
in other mammals such as cats and lions.Â
‘This infant response reduces
maternal burden of carrying and is beneficial for both the mother and
the infant,’ explained one of the study authors, Dr Kumi Kuroda.
The researchers added that their findings have important implications for parenting and could even ‘contribute to preventing child abuse’.
‘Such
proper understanding of infants would reduce frustration of parents and
be beneficial, because unsoothable crying is major risk factor for
child abuse,’ says Dr Kuroda.
‘Although
our study was done on mothers, we believe that this is not specific to them and [the findings] could be applied to any primary caregiver.’
The study is published in the journal
Current Biology.
Â
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i noticed the babies and small children in India were very quiet and placid. this appeared to be because they were all carried by mum or dad rather than being dumped in a buggy.
logical
,
south coast, United Kingdom,
17/4/2013 21:31
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YUCK, CRYING BABIES.!!
Happy Harry
,
Felixstowe,
17/4/2013 21:22
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It never works nowadays.. !!
#*Ashaa#..
,
Bradford,
17/4/2013 21:21
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This is interesting reading for me because it explains my son’s behaviour as a tiny baby sixteen years ago. When he would cry I would pick him up and hold him but he would keep on crying until I started walking round the house with him. I had to do this for weeks on end as simply holding him and rocking him was not enough to stop the crying. I was exhausted after having a long birth with an emergency section and all I wanted to do was sit down but my son had other ideas. I don’t know why other readers seem to think this is obvious. It wasn’t to me at the time.
ViJay
,
Belfast, United Kingdom,
17/4/2013 21:14
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No doubt the heartbeat drops, the baby was upset, parent picks child up and gets love and attention the baby calms down, heartbeat returns to normal. It’s called been human.
Bluepillredpill
,
Cleckhuddersfax, United Kingdom,
17/4/2013 21:02
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Baby harper will be fine then…… Posh never let’s her feet touch the floor. God help her when she walks. Mummy will have to find another accessory!
Newshound
,
Newcast, United Kingdom,
17/4/2013 20:39
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Some of you are missing the point. Babies do NOT calm down when they are picked up, there has to be MOVEMENT. Otherwise they just continue screaming. Rocking from one foot to another waving the baby slightly on your arm fools a baby for a bit, though, if you can’t walk about, e.g. because you are standing in a line three deep waiting to check in at Heathrow airport for a 4 hr flight. Later when you are on the flight you can do the pacing up and down the aisle thing. And whoever says babies have to have a REASON for crying, like “a wet nappy� *Hollow laugh from mother of 3*
helin
,
Turkey,
17/4/2013 20:11
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Or that they are in their parents safe comforting arms?!
scarlett
,
right here,
17/4/2013 20:04
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It’s called “COMFORT†it’s the most Natural thing to do with a Baby……Its to show and make them aware of your love for them, and to assure them, your there for them…..Dear, Oh Dear, Oh Dear…..Has Basic instinct disappeared…..
GoingForBust
,
South Of England,
17/4/2013 20:02
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Maybe the reason their heart beat goes down is because they are being comforted? You think? Imbeciles.
Lady of Argonne
,
Long Beach, United States,
17/4/2013 19:39
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