Touch - Child Development

To have and to hold: Effects of Physical Contact on Infants and their Caregivers

In Western societies, infants are in body contact with caregivers about 18% of the day – as compared to 79-99% of the day in many non-Western societies. Physical contact with others is vital to infant development. Infant-Caregiver touch not only improves infant emotional and physical regulation but improves mood for caregivers.