PARENTHOOD.IE

There is more than style and weight you need to consider when you are buying a new buggy. There is some research done in the UK which states that the direction an infant or child faces in a buggy has an impact on their development.

There are so many choices when parents are choosing the perfect buggy for a baby, it will make you dizzy. Most parents will look at style and price first, but also consider practical details such as wheels for easy pushing and height. Other important factors can be weight and easy folding, this is particularly important if you have a car.  But according to a study done in 2008 parents should also choose a buggy where the baby or child faces backwards and sees their face, rather than forward facing and receiving continuous new impressions.

Modern design may restrict communication

Most old style buggies would have been rear facing, allowing the baby to see and interact with the parent continuously. Most modern styled buggies today are facing away from the parent, both for design reasons and ideas on the importance of new impressions for a child’s development.

In a three wheel buggy it is natural to place the baby’s head protected at the wider end. It is not only harder to find a buggy where the child faces you, particularly for stages beyond the infant age, but back facing buggies are also normally more expensive. See our list at the end of the article, of strollers where you are face-to-face with your child.

What's life in a baby buggy like?

The study "What's life in a baby buggy like?", done in 2008 by Dr Suzanne Zeedyk a developmental Psychologist at Dundee University’s School of Psychology, states that forward in buggies cause stress in young children and have a long-term effect on a child’s development.

Findings of the study:
•    Parents with face-to-face buggies talks twice as much with their children during an outing.
•    When parent and child faced each other they were more likely to laugh.
•    A child’s heart rate fell slightly when moved to a face-to-face buggy.

One of the most surprising findings of the study showed that babies in back facing buggies were twice as likely to sleep, possibly due to reduced stress levels. A child in a forward facing buggy is more isolated and emotionally impoverished, according to the study.

How does it affect child development?

By facing the parent and reading body language and facial expressions, a child will have instant references to the world around them.  Facing away from the parent will limit the ability to communicate and get the parent’s attention, and will often cry to receive the attention.

The study has been criticized as it has study a small segment, 2 722 parents in the UK, but Dr Suzanne Zeedyk underlines the importance for parents to have access to this information, in order to make an informed decision when buying a buggy.

“Our data suggests that for many babies today, life in a buggy is emotionally impoverished and possibly stressful. Stressed babies grow into anxious adults”, said Dr Zeedyk.

Regardless of the buggy you own there are some suggestions to make your child’s experience of the outside world comforting. Parents often see their children’s world through adult eyes and needs, not realising that a child may not need a continuous flow of new impressions to keep entertained.  A baby or young child will happily face you and interact with you all day long.

What to think about

•    Talk to your child often during your walk
•    Don’t distance yourself from your child with music in headphones
•    Try to limit the time you spend on the mobile talking to others
•    If you have stressed around town, try to compensate with a calm tour in a calm environment

Rear-facing buggies for babies and toddlers

Bugaboo Cameleon	Graco Symbio	Obaby Zezu Pramette	Quinny Zap

The seating can be reversed in several of these strollers.