....There are also important social
dimensions to the carrying of children. The child’s primary experiences of the
world come from the mother. Close to her, it gets to know its new environment.
Following birth, the child continues to feel the rhythm of its mother’s
movements, and these form part of the child’s perception of the world. Also the
mother’s scent, voice and warmth are comforting. The separation of a mother
form her baby is not conducive to its development.
Evidence of this was found
as early as the twelfth century: and experiment was conducted at the behest of
Frederick II. Holy Roman Emperor and King of Germany and Sicily. His
chronicler, Alimbene, wrote ’He wished to discover which language and in what
manner children would speak if they grew up never hearing anyone else speak. He
therefore ordered that a number of foster mothers and wet nurses only feed,
bathe and clean the children in their care and not babble or talk with them. In
this way he wished to discover which language they would speak: Hebrew, the
most ancient language, Greek, Latin, Arabic, or most likely that of their
biological parents. He never found out because all the children died. They
could not stay alive without being lovingly spoken to or being cuddled and
smiled at by their foster mothers.’
It is now generally accepted that a lack of
contact and affection while growing up is detrimental to children. After
carrying out research into several children’s homes, the American child
psychiatrist René A. Spitz came to the conclusion that small children who spend
a lot of time alone and receive minimal attention from carers tend to lag
behind in development. They exhibit restless, introverted behaviour. They do
not learn to eat independently or become toilet-trained....
Source: I.C. van Hout: Beloved Burden,
Baby-wearing around the world
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