Rocking the baby does work, say scientists studying crying youngsters' heart rates

[xchrom]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/rocking-the-baby-does-work-say-scientists-studying-crying-youngsters-heart-rates-8578961.html



Crying babies really do calm down when they are picked up and cradled according to a study that has discovered a deeper scientific basis to a phenomenon that every new mother soon realises to be true.

Scientists in Japan have found that the heart rate of crying babies slows down when they are in put in the arms of their mothers and carried about – but not if the mother remains still, the study found.

Kumi Kuroda and colleagues at RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Saitama discovered the same behavioural trait in young mouse pups and postulated that the phenomenon in human babies stems from an ancient evolutionary response to being handled.

“From humans to mice, mammalian infants become calm and relaxed when they are carried by their mother. This infant response reduces the maternal burden of carrying and is beneficial for both the mother and the infant,” Dr Kuroda said.

[DrDan]

1. validating what every parent already knows

btw - it works similarly for a Father - but that, of course, is further research in need of a robust grant

[freeplessinseattle]

2. my cat likes it when I rock him like a baby

gets into almost a trance-like state. I've wondered what it is about that motion that is so calming.

[bemildred]

3. Perhaps junior is less likely to be dropped if he doesn't squirm and yell?

Anyway, I know rocking still works great for me.

[SheilaT]

4. Well, duh.

For the past million years or so just about any mother, not to mention lots of other caregivers, could have told you it works.