Use Nurturing Touch

Touch meets a baby's needs for physical contact, affection, security, stimulation, and movement. Skin-to-skin contact is especially effective, such as during breastfeeding, bathing, or massage. Carrying or babywearing also meets this need while on the go. Hugs, snuggling, back rubs, massage, and physical play help meet this need in older children.

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New sensors monitor sick babies without wires blocking hugs "This need was so compelling," said John Rogers, a Northwestern University bioengineer who led the sensors' development.	AP Research: Nurturing touch changes DNA, Spanking doesn't work, and more It's exciting to see how much research is constantly being churned out that shows just how beneficial Attachment Parenting is to healthy infant and child development!
Cuddling therapy, anyone? For babies requiring long-term hospitalization, like preemies and other ill newborns, some hospitals now offer Volunteer Cuddlers to help meet their needs for nurturing touch.	The power of nurturing touch on child behavior When we think of providing nurturing touch, what most often comes to mind may be skin-to-skin with our newborn, babywearing, or infant massage. Nurturing touch continues to be a critical need for children (and adults!) of all ages.
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.	It Depends on How the Mother and Child Survive the First Days After Birth Swedish neuroscientist Dr. Nils Bergman presents on how skin-to-skin contact between mother and newborn actually changes the brain development of the infant.
Women Are Normalizing Breastfeeding By Turning Selfies Into Colorful Works Of Art	Ejercico de empatía #1 Read more
Skin-to-skin contact after birth good for mom and baby ""The more you can do to place the mother and baby together and disturb them as little possible during that first hour, the better off they'll be," said lead author Elizabeth Moore, of the School of Nursing at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, T Read more	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.

Journal Studies

Physiological and behavioral responses reveal 9-month-old infants' sensitivity to pleasant touch

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.

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Journal Studies

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Use Nurturing Touch

API Links

Journal Studies

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.

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.

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.

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.