Babywearing is the practice of wearing or carrying a baby in a sling or in another form of carrier. Babywearing has been practiced for centuries around the world. Babywearing is a form of baby transport which can be used for as long as mutually desired, often until toddlerhood and beyond. In the industrialized world, babywearing has gained popularity in recent decades. Part of the reason for this shift is due to the influence of advocates of attachment parenting. History An early example of skin-to-skin infant care is the traditional Inuit woman's garment, the amauti, had a large pouch at the back where the baby would sit against the mother's bare back. The Dayak people of Borneo traditionally employed a wooden baby carrier called a bening. Benefits Dr. William Sears, a pediatrician, coined the phrase attachment parenting. One of Sear's principles of attachment parenting is babywearing and he attributes many benefits to babywearing and the in-arms style of parenting. The benefits of babywearing include: In the wearing of newborns in particular, the mothers' oxytocin levels are increased through the physical contact with the infant, leading to a more intimate maternal bond, easier breastfeeding and better care, thus lowering the incidence of postpartum depression and psychosomatic illness in the mother; similarly, the father carrying the baby has benefits for the paternal bond. Infants who are carried are generally calmer, as more of their primal/survival needs are met. The caregiver can be seen, heard, smelled, touched, tasted, provide feeding and the motion necessary for continuing neural development, gastrointestinal and respiratory health and to establish balance (inner ear development) and muscle tone is constant. Parental rhythms (walking, heartbeat, etc.) can have balancing and soothing effects on infants. Infants are "humanized" earlier by developing socially. Babies are closer to people and can study facial expressions, learn languages faster and be familiar with body language. Independence is established earlier. Attachment between child and caregiver is more secure. Decreases risk of positional plagiocephaly ("flat head syndrome") caused by extended time spent in a car seat and by sleeping on the back. Appropriate babywearing, particularly inward-facing babywearing can be beneficial to neck muscle development, and contribute positively to healthy hip development. It reduces DDH (developmental dysplasia of hip) which results due to longer durations spent in car seats or strollers. It allows wide base of support which supports ball and socket of hip which are not properly developed