Armando Bastida, nurse: "How horrible it would be for a human puppy to have to get used to parents who don't pick him up."

Nurse and educator Armando Bastida sought to debunk one of the most persistent myths in parenting : the idea that excessive physical contact with a baby could " spoil " them. To do so, he relied on a 1984 study that, he explains, showed that parental touch and contact are vital to the development and growth of newborns.

In that study, the babies studied had an average birth weight of 1.3 kilos (3 pounds). For ten days, some received fifteen-minute massages three times a day, while others did not. The results were revealing: the former gained 47% more weight —about 25 grams per day compared to 17 grams for the other group—were more active and oriented during waking hours, showed improved motor response , and matured earlier . Furthermore, they spent six fewer days in the hospital , which represented an estimated saving of $3,000 per child, a considerable figure for the time.

Bastida recalls that " this has been known for 40 years, " and yet there are still narratives that claim that excessive love or attention can create " socially incompetent individuals ." In contrast to this belief, he is clear: " Don't hesitate to hold him in your arms , to put him skin-to-skin whenever you want."

For the nurse, physical contact is not only safe , but also a biological and emotional need . “If it's true that they get used to this… thank goodness. How horrible it would be for a newborn human puppy to have to get used to parents who don't pick it up, who don't touch it, and who don't care for it the way it needs and deserves,” he says.

With this message, Bastida encourages mothers and fathers to enjoy their children's presence and not to limit displays of affection in the first months of life . Her simple but powerful advice is that affection and contact are never too much when it comes to a baby .