Your Newborn Baby Needs The #PowerofHugs

Prerna Sinha

8 years ago

I love you; you love me

We are a happy family

With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you

Won’t you say, you love me tooooo!!

This lovely song from the Barney series always guaranteed me a hug while my elder was under the age of 5. Now of course, while he likes hugging me privately he feels a little shy to do it in front of his friends. My younger one is liberal with his affection.

I have never been comfortable with hugging while growing up; somehow we didn’t hug much as a family, and it was all about respect and love for your parents. Call it the old value system, but when my kids were born something changed within me and not only did I always feel the need to hug them, but also to kiss them. Strangely the barrier that I always had for intimacy with people was broken by my kids. Now, I am comfortable hugging people and even asking for hugs when I am feeling upset. Yes, hugs have that power to heal and fill your heart with love. Thankfully, one of the perks of being a parent is that you have doting kids who love you no matter what, so I am sure to get my share of hugs whenever I want.

My own quota of #PowerOfHugs

Did you know that hugs are wonderful for babies, almost magical? Last year, I remembered reading about how a hug might have saved a sick child.

Jamie and Emily were born 14 weeks premature, and doctors said newly born Jamie was dying. So the parents got in bed together and cuddled with the baby.

“I wanted to meet him, and to hold him, and for him to know us,” said Kate after it happened. “We’d resigned ourselves to the fact that we were going to lose him, and we were just trying to make the most of those last, precious moments.” Suddenly, Jamie’s breathing improved, and hospital staff jumped in to revive him entirely.

The story highlights the partly recognised science of “kangaroo care” — where newborns receive health benefits by being held closely to a parent’s bare skin or chest. Several studies support kangaroo care, emphasising on skin to skin contact, and it’s become more common in US neonatal intensive care units, as reported by The Huffington Post.

You might call it chance or a miracle, but there are over 600 medical studies on the effects of human touch that prove there is a scientific reason behind the recovery of that baby. The benefits of human touch for infants often extend throughout childhood and also affect who our children become later in life.

#PowerOfHugs

So, all the above are the positive side effects of hugging, and guess what? There are no negatives. Hugging releases oxytocin, a chemical that has been linked to happiness and social bonding. According to research at DePauw University, oxytocin will strengthen your bond with your baby and also stabilise their heart rate.

Did you know the longer you hold your baby, the better? To fully release the oxytocin in your body, you need to hold the baby for at least 6 seconds, although a super-long 20-second hug will have maximum impact.

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Hugs are clearly something humans use naturally as a way to physically say “I love you, and I care for you.”

Embracing for an extended time lifts one’s serotonin levels, elevating mood and creating happiness. A happy baby is always a delight! Well, hugged kids are less stressed. An Emory University study in rats found a link between touch and relieving stress, particularly in the early stages of life. The research concluded that the same could be said for humans, mainly citing the example of a baby’s development. So go ahead and hug your children a lot.

Research shows that the hug hormones are immuno-regulatory. They help to change the way your body handles both physical and social stresses, thus boosting your immune system and naturally making your baby stronger.

You don’t need scientific studies to hug your kid. Cuddling your children and wrapping your arms around them is not only good for them, but also for yourself and that is something that your instinct will tell you.

It is this power of hugs which forms the inspiration behind Huggies’ latest product – the Wonder Pants. With their all-new hug-fit design, they will not only keep your baby’s skin dry but are also as gentle as your hug. This product comes with some wonderful features; it pulls in wetness quickly and keeps baby’s skin dry, it’s gentle on the baby’s bottom and waist and its pants style aids you to change the diaper quickly while the baby is crawling or standing.