Surprising Benefits of Slings and Baby Carriers!

In this article:
Provides a Gentle Transition
Fosters a Child's Independence
Reduces Crying
Helps Dad Bond
Great for Toddlers
Front Carriers
Slings and Wraps
Backpacks
Choosing the Right Carrier
Protecting Yourself from Injury
Give Yourself Time to Adapt

More than just a way to transport baby from here to there, baby wearing can have surprising benefits for your little one. Find out why to consider wearing your baby and how to choose the right carrier.

Kate Spade handbags and Breitling watches are so yesterday. Baby carriers are the hottest accessories du jour! Providing a convenient, inexpensive way to transport your tot, baby carriers also encourage babies' emotional and physical development. So before you refinance your home to buy that Bugaboo Frog stroller, take a moment to learn why more and more parents are learning to love wearing their babies. (And take our quiz to see which carrier is most your style.)

Provides a Gentle Transition

Newborns do not arrive acclimated to the world; they need to adapt to new sights, sounds, and smells. Held close to a parent in a sling or front carrier, a newborn experiences the eye-to-eye contact critical to healthy bonding. He can hear the beating of his mother's heart, feel the warmth of her skin, and breathe in her unique scent. Soothed by constant gentle motion, he also receives a steady stream of sensory stimuli that advances his neurological development.

"Newborns are not designed, physically or mentally, to be on their own. They are neurologically unfinished," says Dr. Meredith Small, PhD, professor of Anthropology at Cornell University and author of Our Babies Ourselves: How Biology and Culture Shape The Way We Parent. "Anthropologists estimate that human babies are really born three months too early," she says.

While strollers, playpens, and hand-held car seats are safe, they do not provide the close contact of a sling, backpack, or front carrier. Also, strollers place children at knee level, rather than eye level. According to Dr. Small, babies worn on a parent's chest or back interact more with the people around them.

Fosters a Child's Independence

For centuries, mothers around the world have worn their babies. Curiously, American and Northern European parents have not followed that tradition. Dr. Small reports that American children are held by their parents approximately half as much as children in cultures that routinely use baby slings and carriers.

The reasons for this discrepancy are complex. But Dr. Small says that the American emphasis on independence and self-reliance plays a significant role. Many parents fear that holding and carrying their babies will make them overly dependent. However, the opposite is true: Infants whose parents satisfy their natural need for closeness routinely develop into self-confident, independent individuals.