Let's not mince words. Babies who grow up in environments where emotional interaction or physical touch is lacking are at great risk for behavioral, social, and emotional problems in life. While there's tons of baby information out there, it may be far more common to find articles on how to help your baby sleep all night or learn to crawl or say his or her first words than articles regarding how lack of emotional or physical attention can adversely affect a child's development and well-being.

Interestingly, current baby information data show that babies who are raised in deprived surroundings such as orphanages have higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, than children raised by attentive parents in loving homes.

More Baby Information on Hormone Levels in Neglected Children

In addition to cortisol, kids who suffered from physical and emotional neglect in early childhood often have lower levels of vasopressin and oxytocin, which are integral components to social bonding and development. Sadly, studies show that even after kids are removed from deprived environments and placed in loving homes, these hormone levels do not always fully increase to normal ranges. In short, some damage cannot be undone.

Contact Deprivation Is Not the Only Determining Factor

Every child is unique. Each of your children has a genetic predisposition, which affects his or her development. Biological and environmental factors both play a part. This is why one child might develop further to overcome the adverse effects of the lack of physical contact he or she suffered as a baby than another child might.

Hold Your Babies Often

Skin-to-skin contact between mother and child (and fathers, too) has been shown to boost a baby's development and self-awareness. Don't let anyone try to seel you on baby information insinuating that you hold your baby too much! There's no such thing! Babies who have skin-to-skin contact with their mothers at birth tend to sleep better and cry less often. If you need new baby information and parenting tips, visit this website.

Moms reap the benefits, too! When you spend a lot of time holding your baby skin-to-skin, it doesn't only help calm the baby; it helps calm you, as well! Moms who enjoy skin-to-skin don't seem to struggle with depression as much as other mothers who do not indulge in skin-to-skin contact with their babies. So, how important is physical contact with your baby's development? Answer: Very!

Read a similar blog about advice new moms here at this page.