Why Are Babies Comforted by Rocking?

It's perhaps no coincidence that the lullaby "Rock-a-bye-Baby" has stood the test of time. There's no mystery as to why babies are comforted by rocking; infants love to be rocked because it feels good. Rocking a baby comes in handy in a number of day-to-day situations. The soothing back-and-forth motion of rocking can help a parent or caregiver calm a baby even when he's being particularly fussy. Rocking a tired baby can encourage him to drift off to sleep, explains the website AskDr.Sears.com.

  1. Significance

    • A rocking chair is a fixture in many nurseries for good reason. A baby who continues to cry or whine after a feeding or diaper change can benefit from some rocking time. Rocking your baby in a chair or slowly moving from side to side while walking can help console your distressed baby. Playing soft music in the background, singing or talking can make the rocking experience all the more pleasant for your baby. Cuddling and kissing your infant as your rock him in your arms can help him feel all the more loved, secure and safe, points out MayoClinic.com.

    Colic

    • A rocking chair may be a godsend when you have a colicky baby. An otherwise healthy infant who whines and wails for more than three hours a day most days of the week for at least three weeks may have colic, explains KidsHealth.org, a website published by the Nemours Foundation. The peaceful back-and-forth motion of rocking your baby, or placing her in a swing, can make her feel better. Colic is a temporary condition without any medical significance that subsides without treatment. Contact your doctor right away if your baby is vomiting, or if holding or rocking her causes distress.

    Burping

    • Slowly gliding back and forth in a rocking chair can encourage your baby to burp after a feeding. Burping your infant helps release the air that he most likely swallows after breastfeeding or drinking from a bottle. Softly patting your little one's back while rocking him should help get rid of the air, and stop or prevent gas, spitting up or fussiness.

    Expert Insight

    • A Japanese study of infants under 6 months old found that those who were carried by a walking mother stopped squirming and crying within seconds and had a decreased heart rate compared to babies who were held by a sitting mother. The study noted that a mouse pup being carried by its mother has strikingly similar physiological effects as when a human mother rocks her baby in her arms. The findings suggest that both mammals have the same natural instinct to protect their young. The study was published in April 2013 in the journal "Current Biology"

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