Babywearing

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Attached at the Heart - New publisher and new cover! We are excited to announce that Praeclarus Press has taken over the... read more	More parents working out and going to work with babies on board "...baby-wearing is empowering."
An open letter to new mamas With so much unsolicited parenting advice in our information era, I encourage you to raise a red flag to advice including any of the following 6 terms: Should, Habit, It works, That's what the doctor advised, Spoiling, Good baby.	Understanding sensory processing difficulties in our children Many families discover Attachment Parenting in their quest for how to raise their "spirited" children. All children, evident from birth on, have their own unique temperament.
CPSC Approves New Safety Standard for Sling Carriers Here is an overview of the new safety standards for sling carriers, issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.	Falling in love is scary...3 tips that make it safer Falling in love with our kids is a daring thing to do. Love opens us up, wide open, no armor, no defenses. We’re naked and vulnerable when we’re in love. Dare to feel how much you love your children. If you can’t or if it’s hard, don’t worry.
Editor's pick: Top 10 of 2016 2016 has been a fulfilling year for API.	One generation full of deeply loving parents "One generation full of deeply loving parents would change the brain of the next generation and with that, the world." Share this meme on API's blog and Facebook page.
Each day of our lives... "Each day of our lives, we make deposits in the memory banks of our children." Share this meme on API's blog or Facebook page.	Babywearing and peace API is excited to support International Babywearing Week 2016, Oct. 5-10. API provides a wide array of resources on babywearing -- from benefits to how-to's and safety.

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Journal Studies

A Longitudinal Investigation of Maternal Touching Across the First 6 Months of Life: Age and Context Effects

Jean, A. D., Stack, D. M., & Fogel, A. (2009). A longitudinal investigation of maternal touching across the first 6 months of life: Age and context effects. Infant Behavior and Development, 32(3), 344-349.

As infants grew older, mothers provided less nurturing touch, patting and stroking but more tickling and static touch.

Touch for Socioemotional and Physical Well-Being: A Review

Field, T. (2010). Touch for socioemotional and physical well-being: A review. Developmental Review, 30(4), 367-383.

Touch is needed for social-emotional and physical development and well-being. In addition, there are therapeutic benefits of massage.

The Development of Maternal Touch Across the First Year of Life

Ferber, S. G., Feldman, R., & Makhoul, I. R. (2008). The development of maternal touch across the first year of life. Early Human Development, 84(6), 363-370.

While maternal touch predicts mother-infant reciprocity, which is linked to positive child cognitive, language, and social-emotional development, the incidence of all forms of nurturing touch decrease through the infant’s first year, especially after six months.

Natural Variations in Maternal and Paternal Care are Associated with Systematic Changes in Oxytocin Following Parent-Infant Contact

Feldman, R., Gordon, I., Schneiderman, I., Weisman, O., & Zagoory-Sharon, O. (2010). Natural variations in maternal and paternal care are associated with systematic changes in oxytocin following parent-infant contact. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 35(8), 1133-1141.

Oxytocin levels rise in both mothers and fathers who provide high levels of affectionate touch but not in parents who provide less nurturing touch.