You just can’t beat a hug for bonding power
Professor Dieter Wolke said that cuddles were a crucial act of bonding which provided security, confidence and warmth in a baby’s development.
Babies are completely helpless and totally reliant on their parents for protection and survival, unlike other mammals, Prof. Wolke said.
The University of Bristol senior lecturer pointed out that babies were content to be looked after by any person who was responsive to them during the first three months of their lives.
“But from around four months, they will become particularly choosy, crying at strangers and seeking familiar faces, smells and voices. It’s not until your baby reaches around six to eight months of age that they begin to realise they are a separate person from everyone else,” he said.
“And with that realisation comes the fear that if they lose sight of you, you might not be able to find them.”
Children were born with an inclination to form an attachment relationship to increase their chance of survival, he added.
The importance of cuddling was also explained by the fact that carrying and holding were optimal ways to provide protection to infants.
“Women, in particular, have a strong urge to hold and cuddle and use kissing as a sign of affection,” Prof Wolke said.
He noted that such physical contact was a universal feature in all cultures.
Prof Wolke, who was speaking at the launch of Pampers Baby Dry nappies, did not ignore grown-ups’ fondness for the occasional hug.
“We all want a cuddle, however old we are,” he laughed.
