A recent report came out in the New York Times regarding a study of forward facing strollers. It discussed the advantages of having the baby face toward the parent as opposed to facing away. The article concluded that a baby that faces toward the mother has the ability to easily communicate. The baby can easily make eye contact and have the comfort of seeing her mother. The study went on to say that babies have a better chance of learning, such as how to better communicate or learn how to speak.
It should be noted that this mode of carrying your baby in a baby carrier is similar to that of the stroller. Some parents have their baby facing forward so they can see what is coming. Some parents have their baby in the back, in sort of a piggy back ride; but as studies have shown most of the time parents should choose to have the baby face toward them whenever they use the baby carrier.
Why is it important for babies to face the parent during these journeys? According to the New York Times study, babies have increased learning capabilities between birth and age 3 compared to any other time in their life. The number one reason to have your baby face you while in the baby carrier is the learning of language. The baby will pick up everything you are saying during this time. They are like little human sponges. To be more specific, a babys brain has many transmitters that allow learning at a fast rate. As adult these transmitters are closed so we can only learn when the transmitters connect. This is a slower form of learning. As stated earlier it is a crucial learning stage in their lives that lay the ground work for the rest of their lives.
We need to give a child every advantage to learn something new throughout their lives, but particularly between birth and age 3. If you have a baby stroller or a baby carrier, by all means have them face toward you so they can learn from you. This does not mean you need to do this every time you go outside, but the best suggest is to have your baby face toward you most of the time. Whether you are talking to your baby or talking to someone else, babies learn by seeing how your mouth moves and listening to your words.
John writes articles on the baby carrier and other baby products. If you would like to learn more please check http://www.babyhawk.com
