- Feb 5, 2002
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Thinking back to when my children were babies, I remember carrying each on my left side. Being right-handed, it seemed to make sense to hold a baby on the left so my right hand was free to do other things. My husband, however, who is left-handed, said he carried our children on the left side because it was his dominant hand.
Apparently (no pun intended), we aren't the only couple who prefers to carry our young on the left hand side. In fact, according to psychiatrist, philosopher and neuroscientist Iain McGilchrist, this preferred pattern has been around for millennia.
In his deeply insightful 2009 book, The Master and His Emissary, McGilchrist reports that "[t]he right hemisphere's affinity for both the perception and expression of emotion appears to be confirmed by the strong universal tendency to cradle infants with their faces to the left, so that they fall within the principal domain of attention of the adult's right hemisphere, and they are exposed to the adults own more emotionally expressive left hemiface." In other words, the right hemisphere of the brain is more focused on emotions and relationships, so therefore the left hand side, which wires to the right hemisphere, has an easier time of engaging with emotional triggers, like a baby. McGilchrist adds that "even left handed mothers display the leftward cradling bias."
Continued below.
theologyofhome.com
Apparently (no pun intended), we aren't the only couple who prefers to carry our young on the left hand side. In fact, according to psychiatrist, philosopher and neuroscientist Iain McGilchrist, this preferred pattern has been around for millennia.
In his deeply insightful 2009 book, The Master and His Emissary, McGilchrist reports that "[t]he right hemisphere's affinity for both the perception and expression of emotion appears to be confirmed by the strong universal tendency to cradle infants with their faces to the left, so that they fall within the principal domain of attention of the adult's right hemisphere, and they are exposed to the adults own more emotionally expressive left hemiface." In other words, the right hemisphere of the brain is more focused on emotions and relationships, so therefore the left hand side, which wires to the right hemisphere, has an easier time of engaging with emotional triggers, like a baby. McGilchrist adds that "even left handed mothers display the leftward cradling bias."
Continued below.
Why Are Babies Most Cradled on the Left Side?
Why are babies cradled most often on the left hand side? According to psychiatrist, philosopher and neuroscientist Iain McGilchrist, this preferred pattern has a good reason and been around for possibly 4,000 years.
theologyofhome.com
