Parents utilize newborn slings to provide security, warmth and visual stimulation while keeping hands free for daily chores. And they are not alone. People across the globe from various cultures have used slings for centuries. This time tested method of holding a newborn offers some impressive benefits as well.



In 1986 a group of Montreal pediatricians studied ninety-nine mother and infant duos and determined that infants who received supplemental carrying cried and fussed 43 percent less than infants not carried as much. And although that may be a scientific breakthrough in Western cultures it is nothing new for other societies across the globe.

Anthropologists have found newborn slings in cultures old and new in most every corner of the world. This is especially true in Indonesia, South America and Africa where parents still use slings today. In these societies children are often content to be held while parents go about their laborious daily functions.

Researchers have found that these children benefit from being held close as well as learn the activities of their household. This allows them to enter into the family as a participating member much earlier than children in Western societies.

In the Western world so much emphasis has traditionally been placed on fostering independence. And we may be paying a high price for that go-it-alone attitude. Studies indicate that infants, who are swaddled and held more, similar to the effect of an infant carrier, are more apt to enter into optimal learning stages that result from feeling secure.

Infants that spend less time crying and fussy are able to take in more of the stimulus from their environment. Ultimately this leads to enhanced visual and auditory alertness which is linked to everything from speech to self confidence.

Using a newborn baby sling allows infants to see the world from an adult perspective as well. This means they have the opportunity to see more human interaction which leads to better interaction skills and a trip to the local grocery store becomes a bight and stimulating learning opportunity.

But in a society so accustomed to using strollers and car seats to maneuver through shopping malls and local parks how does a new parent make the switch to a sling or newborn carrier? The only answer may be through persistence.

However, as more companies begin to offer slings in a variety of sizes and fits more infant carriers will be seen at playgroups and grocery stores.

A newborn sling is technically any cloth device used to hold a baby to his caregiver. It allows the caregiver to hold the infant or toddler while keeping their hands free. And although there are a number of styles and designs the one thing that is universal is that baby wearing takes time to perfect.

All newbies must give it a chance. But with practice and persistence you may find that a newborn baby carrier is the most loving to carry a newborn while allowing the caregiver to go about daily chores.