Baby Talk: The importance of touch to newborn babies

Monitoring Desk

DUBAI: If possible doctors and will delivery a newborn baby directly onto the mother’s stomach as skin to skin contact immediately after birth is an important part of the bonding process but also can help reduce crying, keep the baby warm, and help the mother to breastfeed successfully. The benefits of skin to skin contact are significant.

Human contact

Beyond skin to skin contact at birth, babies find touch soothing. The warmth and rhythmical rocking of a parents arms will sooth a crying baby better than anything.

It may often help to wrap your baby up securely in a blanket, although it’s very important not to allow your baby to become overheated.

Alternatively, many parents find carrying their baby around in a sling an excellent way to reassure them.

Baby massage can be another wonderful way to connect as well as calm down your little one and can be incorporated into the bedtime routine as a way of gently preparing your baby for sleep.

Comforters

Many babies become attached to a certain blanket or toy, finding comfort from its touch and feel. A soft teddy or blanket can be a perfect bedtime companion as long as they are safe.

It can be a problem separating your baby from her cloth comforter in order to wash it regularly, so try to have two of the same so that you can have one in use and one in the wash when necessary.

Textures

Your baby will naturally want to explore different textures so invest in toys that have soft and hard components in them. Many soft toys suitable for newborns have built in texture panels for your baby to discover.

The brain is like a sponge in these early years so try and make sure your baby hears, touches, tastes and smells as many different textures as possible.

Courtesy: (arabnews)