Does Cuddling Spoil Babies?
Some people believe that cuddling babies, giving them constant attention and talking to them will spoil them, and argue that contact should be kept to a minimum. In reality, contact is one of a baby's most basic needs. It has been found that skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding between parent and baby within the first hour after birth establishes attachment, and that parents are more attentive to their babies in the hours that follow.
When skin-to-skin contact with a caregiver was compared in babies, it was found that premature babies in incubators who received an extra 10 minutes of skin-to-skin contact a day gained 50% more weight than premature babies who received no skin-to-skin contact, even though they were given the same nutrition. In addition, a study carried out in Romania found that, among babies living in orphanages, those who received skin-to-skin contact were further ahead in their social, cognitive and physical development in later months than those who did not.
Researchers have explained these findings through babies' cortisol levels, and have found that cortisol, which is released in situations of stress, is persistently high in babies who receive no contact and warmth. It has thus been proven that prolonged exposure to high levels of cortisol affects growth and development in the long term.
In other words, feeding, changing nappies and settling a baby to sleep are not enough on their own when it comes to caring for a baby. Being touched with affection is just as much a primary need as eating, feeling safe and sleeping. You may think that babies do not like being picked up; this is not true. What babies need most is the love of their caregivers. So every time your baby cries and tries to communicate with you, pick them up and show them your love. You will see them settle more quickly, their sleep improve, and your own bond with them grow stronger.
About the author
Clinical Psychologist Orlit Linet Haklı — After completing a double major in Psychology and Sociology at Koç University, I graduated from the Clinical Psychology programme at Bahçeşehir University. For three years I worked with the Solidarity Association with Refugees and Migrants, a UNICEF project, conducting individual psychotherapy and group art therapy sessions with refugee children and adolescents. I currently provide parental counselling at a private practice in Kadıköy on the Anatolian side of Istanbul, working with children, adolescents and adults using psychodynamic psychotherapy, play therapy and art therapy.