The Vital Touch - by Sharon Heller (Paperback)

About the Book

Using a lively array of anthropological and sociological sources, this book presents a provocative examination of the reasons why, today more than ever, parents need to make consistent physical connections with their children--and why this should begin during infancy. Complete with inspiring examples from cultures all over the world, the text clearly proves the power of closeness, and shows parents how to share more of it with their children.

Book Synopsis

A parenting guide exploring the benefits of physical touch between parents and babies reveals how to provide an environment in which children will thrive.

Using a lively array of anthropological and sociological sources, psychologist Sharon Heller presents a provocative examination of the reasons why, now more than ever, we need to make consistent physical connections with our infants and children.

An indispensable book for new parents, The Vital Touch affirms the value of touch as the most essential medium through which we can communicate and bond with our babies.

From the Back Cover

Why do American babies rank among the least held on earth? Throughout human evolution, babies have enjoyed intimate physical contact with their mothers. In cultures around the world, parents' arms are used to comfort their babies, from holding and carrying them to rocking them to sleep. In this probing and insightful book, psychologist Sharon Heller uses evolutionary psychology to examine why social pressures and a desire for self-sufficiency have caused Americans to distance ourselves physically from our children. Our overreliance on infant carriers, strollers, swings, and cribs as parenting substitutes often prevents us from attaining physical closeness with our children, causing increased fussiness in infants and creating conflict for the mothers. Drawing from an inspiring array of cultural and anthropological sources, The Vital Touch explores all the psychological, physiological, and sensory benefits that occur when parent and baby are in touch - and what happens when they're not - and shows us how we can provide a soothing and nurturing environment in which our children will thrive. Here is a book that affirms the value of touch as the most essential medium through which we can communicate and bond with our babies.

Review Quotes

"An impressive achievement. This is far more than another advice-to-parents book. It's a data-based wake-up call for the humanization of American child-rearing."
--Daniel Freedman, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, University of Chicago

"Magnificent . . . will be widely read for generations."
--Ashley Montagu, author of Touching

"Deeply reasoned and scientifically grounded."
--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Sharon Heller, Ph.D., is the author of The Vital Touch and teaches courses in psychology. She received her master's degree from the University of Chicago and her doctorate from Loyola University of Chicago. She lives in South Florida.