The Science: Misunderstanding the Baby's Body Language

Many new parents lack knowledge about how to read a baby’s body language. As parents get to know their newborn, misunderstanding their baby’s behavior creates anxiety in the parent and can interfere with the developing parent-child relationship. Babies born early, or fragile babies, are easily over-stimulated. However, energetic, loving parents may also, unknowingly, over-stimulate a full-term baby. New parents must learn to notice when a baby sends out an “SOS” – Sign of Over-stimulation.

There are two kinds of SOS—Body SOSs (changes in skin color, movement or breathing) and Behavioral SOSs – “Spacing Out” (getting drowsy), “Switching Off”( turning away from the parent), and “Shutting Down”(going to sleep) .(See these SOSs in action.)