Soothing mom when baby can't be soothed
Breathing teddy bears soothe mothers more than their babies, study
finds.
"It seems some "bear necessities" may appeal more to mothers than to their babies.
A stuffed teddy bear that appears to be breathing was designed to comfort fussy
babies in the crib. It didn't do much in terms of reducing the babies' crying, but
it seemed to help their mothers reduce their stress and depression levels, says
a University of Connecticut study published in the April issue of the Journal of
Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.
The researchers gave either a Breathing Bear or a regular teddy bear to 72 5-week-old
infants who were described as fussy by their mothers. To assess the effect of the
bears on the babies, the mothers were asked to make regular reports over five months
on the amount of crying done by their infants.
The mothers also filled out several questionnaires that gathered information about
their infants' temperament and the mothers' own feelings of depression and stress
during the study period.
The study found no major difference in the mothers' estimates of crying between
the babies who had the Breathing Bears and babies with regular teddy bears. However,
the mothers of babies with Breathing Bears did say their infants had better temperaments
two to three months after the study.
Interestingly, mothers of babies with Breathing Bears reported feeling less depressed
and stressed. The researchers suggest the Breathing Bears may have reduced the babies'
intense crying and had other positive effects for the babies through their interactions
with their soothed mothers."