Science

Nothing makes a toddler feel better than a cuddle from mum or dad, study shows


A hug from mum really is the best medicine: Study shows nothing makes a baby feel more relaxed than being cuddled by a parent

  • Hugs from mum or dad are the best way to calm a child as young as four months 
  • Japanese researchers measured babies’ heart beat intervals – a sign of calmness 
  • Babies had longer heart beat intervals when being hugged rather than just held
  • But don’t hug too hard! Beat rate intervals in babies went up during ‘tight hugs’ 
  • Hugs play a crucial early role in bonds between children and parents, they say

A hug from mum really is the best medicine, with a new study showing that babies are most relaxed when being cuddled by a parent. 

Japanese infants as young as four months showed slower heart rates during hugs from their parents compared with hugs from a stranger. 

Infants under a year old showed longer intervals between their heart beats when they were being hugged than when they were merely being held – suggesting greater levels of relaxation. 

However, the researchers advise mothers not to hug too tight – heart beat intervals were quicker when the youngsters were on the receiving end of a ‘tight hug’. 

The study offers some of the first evidence that hugs – and not just a hold – play an important role in early bonding between parents and their children.

Images show how holds, hugs and tight hugs were administered. Tight hugs caused the infants beat intervals to speed up compared with the hug

Images show how holds, hugs and tight hugs were administered. Tight hugs caused the infants beat intervals to speed up compared with the hug

‘We know that children love to be hugged by their parents,’ said study lead author Professor Sachine Yoshida, of Toho University in Tokyo, Japan.

‘But what surprised us as scientists is how little we know about hugging.’ 

The team examined heart rate responses in infants less than one year old during a hold, a hug and a tight hug, as well as the heart rate of the parents. 

They also looked at what happens when a female stranger who had experience in childbirth and parenting did the hugging instead of either parent. 

Graphic shows that interbeat interval (IBI) - a sign of calmness - was higher when infants were receiving a hug from their mother than a hold or a tight hug. IBI was also higher when both mothers and fathers were giving the hugs, compared to a stranger

Graphic shows that interbeat interval (IBI) – a sign of calmness – was higher when infants were receiving a hug from their mother than a hold or a tight hug. IBI was also higher when both mothers and fathers were giving the hugs, compared to a stranger

WHAT IS INTERBEAT INTERVAL?  

Interbeat interval (IBI) is the time between each heart beat in mammals.  

IBI increases mean there is more time between beats, while decreases in IBI mean the heart is beating more rapidly. 

In this study, a long IBI is was associated with calmness and relaxation in infants, while a short IBI could have been an indicator of stress.  

IBI is imaged as waves on the display of an electrocardiogram. They can vary from beat to beat. 

The researchers report that parents and infants both showed an increase during a hug in the interbeat interval (IBI) on an electrocardiogram.

IBI is the time between a particular waveform that measures electrical activity of the heart. The increased time indicates a slowed heart rate. 

‘The infants older than four months old showed a high increase ratio of heartbeat intervals during hugging by their parents than by female strangers,’ Professor Yoshida said.  

‘Parents also showed a high increase ratio of heartbeats intervals by hugging their infants. 

‘We found that both infants and parents come to relax by hugging.’ 

Likewise, infants did not show an increased IBI during a hug from the female stranger.   

Infants younger than four months didn’t show the same IBI increase during a hug, suggesting they didn’t make the same distinction as older infants between being held and being hugged. 

Infants less than four months did, however, have a slowed heart rate when a parent’s hand put pressure on their back during their hug.

Infants younger than four months didn't show the same RRI increase during a hug, the researchers reported

Infants younger than four months didn’t show the same RRI increase during a hug, the researchers reported 

The calming effect of the hug could only be detected on infants who were neither crying nor fussy. 

‘Your baby loves to be hugged and loves how you hug your baby,’ Professor Yoshida said. 

‘Even though infants cannot speak, they recognise their parents through various parenting methods, including hugging, after four months old at latest.

‘We hope that knowing how your baby feels while being hugged helps ease the physical and psychological workload of taking care of infants too young to speak.’

The findings were published in the journal iScience.





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