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Forward Facing Strollers Stress Babies
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A recent study confirms what those of use who practice intuitive and attachment parenting already know; forward facing strollers stress babies and inhibits their social and language development. It sometimes makes me wonder about the ability of mainstream culture to empathize at all with babies. According to the CNN report last Friday:
” The research found that children not facing the person pushing them were significantly less likely to talk, laugh and interact with their parents.
Based on a study of 2,722 parents and children, the study by Dundee University’s School of Psychology calls into question the designs of many of the world’s most popular baby strollers.
“Our experimental study showed that, simply by turning the buggy around, parents’ rate of talking to their baby doubled,” said developmental psychologist Suzanne Zeedyk, who led the research.
Zeedyk’s study, published by British charity National Literacy Trust, included an experiment in which 20 babies were wheeled in buggies for a mile, spending half the trip facing their parents and the other half facing away,
Parents using face-to-face strollers were more likely to talk to their children, who were less likely to exhibit signs of stress, the study said.
“Our data suggests that for many babies today, life in a buggy is emotionally impoverished and possibly stressful,” Zeedyk said.
“Stressed babies grow into anxious adults.”
The study found that 62 percent of all children observed traveled in forward-facing prams. For children between the ages of one and two, the figure was 86 percent.”
We should not need a study to tell us that babies want to be close to their caregivers, and all the items of mainstream parenting are designed make our lives more “convenient” but they also detach us from our children, both physically and emotionally.
Attachment parenting advocates already know this and this is precisely why we wear our babies. Eye contact, closeness, conversation and communication leads to happier, healthier babies and parents. Of course, if you are think babywearing is too primitive or might hurt your back, you can always drop $500 or $1,000 on a nice rear facing stroller system like Bugaboo or Orbit.
Read more at CNN.com
Image Source: Flickr.com
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Tags: Attachment Parenting, baby strollers, Babywearing, cnn report, developmental psychologist, eye contact, Infant Bonding, language development, mainstream culture, parents and children, prams, signs of stress
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Wow! I never really thought about that. Thats a cool study/ Of course I just wear my baby usually, lol.
I had always had a feeling that rear facing prams were better, but I guess the research now backs that up. Very interesting and informative. Thank you.
I never thought that would have that kind of impact to my baby if I continue to put her on her pram facing forward. From now on, I would use a stroller that lets my baby face me and we go to the mall.
Thanks for sharing this study. I have a young one – we have a rear-facing infant car seat (it is a travel system)…. so far things are OK since he is young and faces us. We’ll need to figure out what to do at age 1.