Close contact

THERE was a time when your first set of wheels meant your first car, but today it means something completely different — and with so many variations on the market, buying your baby’s first pram has become something of a momentous occasion.

But according to author Jared Diamond, Western infants would develop into more confident, curious and secure children if they were carried close to their parents for most of the first year of their life.

In his latest book, The World Until Yesterday, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author, who is a professor of geography at the University of California, argues that his observations of the traditional methods of carrying children in Africa and the Amazon have shown that babies who are carried in an upright, outward facing position are more “emotionally secure, self-confident, curious, and autonomous”.

Having spent years living amongst tribal communities, the 75-year-old believes children benefit from being physically close to their parents and being able to see the world from a higher vantage point.

Psychologist and mother of seven, Kate Byrne agrees. “When babies are being carried in a sling or papoose, they are at face-level with their parent and have much more interaction than those who are in a pram,” she says. “Being able to see facial expression is very important and is of great benefit to neurological development and the close proximity between parent and child makes for a secure and happy baby.

“On top of that, a sling is hugely practical — I couldn’t have coped without one when my children were young — it meant I didn’t have to leave the baby down whenever I wanted to get a job done. I could just get on with it.”

The psychologist set up Baby Wearing Ireland (BWI) in 2006 — a website dedicated to advising people on the correct product to use and the various locations around the country where people can buy, rent or borrow slings.

“The BWI national sling library is a unique entity. No other countrywide sling library exists in the world,” she says. “There are approximately 150 slings currently in the library, with various brands of stretchy wrap, woven wrap, ring sling, soft structured carriers and pouches.

“At BWI we believe that all baby-wearing can be emotionally and psychologically beneficial for parents and children. Additionally, one of the central aims of BWI is to advocate for physiologically appropriate slings.

“We believe that a good sling is an invaluable tool for anyone caring for a baby or young child. The local and national sling libraries allow us to support parents in finding a good sling that works for them.”

* For more information visit www.babywearingireland.ie