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The newest trend in carrying infants around is actually a throwback to more ancient times. Baby slings are lengths of cloth that are tied across the parent’s body so that the baby is cradled within the cloth, against the chest of the parent. This leaves your hands free to do other things while still being able to comfort and care for your baby. Slings are not new, in fact they are fairly old in concept. There are even references to the use of baby slings in works of art from Medieval times and earlier. Early Europeans felt that allowing a baby too much freedom was unhealthy for it and so swaddled the child tightly for the first six months of its life, and then kept the baby near the mother’s heart so that she could protect the child. This was accomplished through the use of baby slings.
Baby slings still do offer enormous benefits, both medical and psychological, for the mother and the parent. First of all, the child can be carried by either parent, allowing the mother or father to bond with the child on a very deep, intimate level. Some pediatric and child rearing experts suggest that bonding with an infant helps reduce the amount of crying as well as the effects of separation anxiety as baby gets older. Whether this is true or not, what is known is that the parents report feeling more attached and more “in tune” with their baby when they use the baby sling as opposed to when the child is playing, in a high chair, or even in a baby stroller.
Secondly, the task of carrying around a baby, even a relatively new baby, can wear out even the strongest of arms, especially if the child falls asleep in an awkward position. Baby slings allow the child to be carried about while leaving the arms of the mother or father free to move about, pick up objects, open doors, and generally take care of themselves and older children.
Previous decades had introduced baby backpacks which were worn either on the back or on the front of the person. Experts warn that propping a child up, especially a newborn child, can cause harm and discomfort to the baby. Baby slings, on the other hand, allow the baby to remain in a cradled position, which increases their comfort level without risk to their health or wellbeing. Additionally, because there are no metal frames or complicated buckles, there is less chance of pinched fingers or legs as well. Baby slings do protect the child as well because the sling wraps around the child, the greatest tension is at the edges of the cloth, which causes the bundle to “hug” the child and prevent them from spilling out and injuring themselves.
Baby slings are a new adaptation to an old and time-tested technology that has important health benefits as well as psychological benefits. Both parents and child seem to benefit from this return to the old ways of childcare. The better construction of the baby slings also ensures the safety of the child and since they are single pieces of cloth, cleaning a soiled one is much easier than other carriers.
Source: Baby Slings - Everything Old is New Again
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