Are you squeezing your baby too tightly? A study suggests the best way to hug your newborn

The momentous day you had waited for with bated breath is finally here! You are ready to welcome your tiny bundle of joy in the world and just can’t wait to hold your newborn in your arms. After all, no parent can forget the first time they hugged their baby as it is a moment which gets etched into the consciousness forever. Recent studies have confirmed that it is not only parents who feel incredibly overwhelmed after taking their baby in their arms, but hugging, bonding and cuddling is also vital for a newborn’s development. Infact, these warm hugs and touches also help your newborn to develop positive brain responses and a coping mechanism which enables him to counter negative experiences even later in life.

Another brilliant example of the benefits of skin-to-skin contact and holding your little one close to you is the concept of kangaroo care. For the uninitiated, Kangaroo care is a way of holding a preterm baby that involves skin-to-skin contact, where the newborn is either just wearing a diaper or a piece of clothing and is held against the bare skin of the parent.

This method of caring for the infants came to existence in the 1970s in Bogotá, Colombia. The researchers noticed that preterm babies who were held by their mothers had higher chances of survival and even showed a positive impact on brain development. Several studies have also pointed out that newborns are more likely to have a stable heart rate, sleep better, experience less anxiety and stress and even bond with their parents better when they are hugged regularly and thrive with more skin-to-skin contact.

While there are several undeniable benefits of holding your little one close, it is equally important to understand the correct way of hugging an infant. Being a parent, hugging and cuddling with your tiny bundle of joy comes almost instinctively, which is why it is all the more important to master the perfect way to cuddle.

A team of researchers from Japan's Toho University conducted a study to compare the difference in the reaction of infants when they were hugged by a stranger and the impact of different intensity of hugs. The research was done by monitoring the heart rate of the newborn and putting pressure sensors on the hands of adult volunteers. The result was published in the journal Cell and were pleasantly surprising to the say the least.

It was found that the babies felt the most calm during a medium pressure hug when compared to just being held in the arms. However, before you go squeezing your baby, remember that the study also noted that the calming effects reduced with a tight hug. So, the sweet spot is somewhere between merely holding your tiny human to squeezing him in your arms and the ideal length of the hug is somewhere between 20 to 30 seconds.

The study also analyzed the differences in the calming impact on the baby when hugged by a stranger compared to a parent’s hug. The results found out that a medium-pressure hug from a parent provides a greater calming effect on the little one when compared to a hug from a female stranger. Now, that you know the calming effects of a warm hug on your baby, we suggest holding him close to your heart a little more frequently, just keep the pressure in mind.