Despite the fact that babywearing is one of the oldest and most widely accepted maternal practices in the world, some in the West still question whether there is any scientific basis for the hoopla surrounding baby slings. Do babies carried constantly by their mothers in these baby slings really develop any differently than babies kept in traditional playpens, cribs, or other enclosures?
As it turns out, science has revealed some dramatic differences. For example, Dr. William Sears, America’s best-known pediatrician, has identified at least four distinctions between baby sling babies and their unslinged counterparts.
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Fewer fears, fewer tears
In 1986 a study by a team of pediatricians in Montreal concluded that babies who are carried in baby slings cry at least 40 percent less than those who are unslinged. And the anecdotal evidence is overwhelming: In cultures where baby slings are the norm, crying is measured in minutes, not hours, with colicky or fussy babies being incredibly rare.
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In pockets, brains rocket
Researchers have reported that babies in slings show enhanced visual and auditory alertness, and a much quicker absorption of information. In other words, just by letting your baby travel close to you and take in all the sights and sounds you do, you could actually make a better learner out of him! In addition, the closeness of slinging makes normal ambient noises or images less scary, and therefore more likely to be learning tools. The brains of sling babies form more neural connections, and form them faster—the hallmarks of a smarter baby.
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Sensible sling, sensible world
Remember, gestation—what we commonly call the womb—is in fact an eighteen-month experience, with half that journey being spent in the new outside world. Because a baby sling carry so closely mimics the feeling of being inside mom’s belly, baby immediately begins connecting past and present dots. Sling babies have been shown to be more organized, aware, and even more tuned in to adult interaction than other infants.
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Babyworn, baby warmed
The speed of socialization, or learning to interact as other people do, is never greater than when baby is snuggling close to you or your spouse, taking in the sounds, smells, and voice inflections of those close to him. There is ample evidence to show that sling babies are socialized more quickly and more effectively than their penned-up mates. Think of a baby sling as a warmer or an incubator for future relational connections—such as the friendships your baby will one day have to form as a wide-eyed preschooler!
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Perhaps we should understand "slingspiration,” then, as word with two meanings: one, the way an original, adorablePolkadot Papoose baby sling comes to life; and two, the way your baby’s development takes off the moment you start wearing your little one!
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