Prehistoric baby sling 'made our brains bigger'

The most important aspect of human evolution was facilitated not by Darwinian-style natural selection but by a crucial technological device invented by early Stone Age women, shows research by a leading British prehistorian.

Timothy Taylor of Bradford University claims that increased brain size was made possible by the invention of the baby sling, a development which enabled slower growing, physically and mentally immature offspring to survive and flourish.

"In effect, kangaroo-style, early female human ancestors became marsupial, carrying their immature youngsters outside their wombs," said Dr Taylor, who has published his research in a book called The Artificial Ape. 

"The invention of the baby sling, which allowed more babies to successfully mature outside the female body, instantly removed the barrier to increased head and brain size."

Before the invention of the baby sling, dated by Dr Taylor to at least 2.2 million years ago, when human ancestor head size suddenly began to increase, physically mature infants were more likely to survive, because caring for slower-developing immature ones was difficult, uneconomic and often dangerous.

Mothers holding their infants were more vulnerable to attack from predators or other humans than those using baby slings. They were also less able to perform other more economically productive tasks.

Most importantly, the invention of the baby sling artificially lengthened human gestation, said Dr Taylor. Formerly, gestation ended at birth with the most physically mature babies surviving as they needed to be carried by their mothers for less time. But their head and brain size was strictly limited by the width of their mother's pelvis.

"Courtesy of the baby sling, our ancestors got smarter," he added.

Article by David Keys, Archeological Correspondant of “The Indipendent”

Monday 06 September 2010

Source:http://www.independent.co.uk

Pouch slings

Sometimes called "tube", "pocket" or "ringless" slings, these are generally formed by a wide piece of fabric sewn into a tubular shape.

Simple, or fitted pouches do not have rings or other hardware. Adjustable pouches may adjust with zippers, snaps, buckles, clips, rings, drawstrings, velcro, and other methods.

Most pouches have a curve sewn in to shape the cloth to the parent's body and hold the baby more securely than a simple straight tube.

The wearer slips the pouch over the head and one shoulder, sash-style, creating a pocket or seat to hold the baby in.

Many pediatricians and baby-wearing experts do not recommend pouch slings because babies can suffocate when held incorrectly. 

Suffocation risk is greatest in newborns and infants under six months, and usually occurs because the baby's chin is collapsed against his or her chest, constricting the airway. 

Pouch slings also often restrict the parent's view of their child, making suffocation more likely. 

When using a pouch sling, wearers should be sure to keep the baby's face elevated and clearly visible.

Source: Wikipedia

Rebozo

A rebozo is a long straight piece of cloth which looks like a cross between a scarf and a shawl.

It is classically a woman’s garment, traditionally hand woven, used also as baby carrier.

The wearing of the rebozo is said to make the movement of a woman more graceful.

Sizes vary with lengths varying anywhere from 1.5 to about 3.5 metres long.

Mexican rebozos are made from different materials as cotton, wool, silk or rayon.

Ring Sling

Ring slings are baby carriers that use dynamic tension, a length of cloth and metal or nylon rings.

One end of the cloth is sewn to two rings. The cloth wraps around the wearer's body from shoulder to opposite hip and back up to the shoulder, and the end is threaded through the rings to create a buckle effect.

Ring slings are most closely related in use to the Mexican rebozo, the rings take the place of the knot.

The baby sits or lies in the resulting pocket. Once a sling is threaded, it can be taken off and put back on without rethreading. A threaded sling forms a loop of cloth.

The wearer can put one arm and the head through the loop of cloth to put the sling back on.

When the baby is in the carrier, the baby's weight puts tension on the fabric, and the combination of fabric tension, friction of fabric surfaces against each other and the rings combine to "lock" the sling in position.

This type of sling can adjust to different wearers' sizes and accommodate different wearing positions easily: the wearer supports the baby's weight with one hand and uses the other hand to pull more fabric through the rings to tighten or loosen the sling.

Ring slings may be padded or unpadded at the shoulder, have padded or unpadded edges or "rails", and the "tail" of the sling may be open or closed.

Some "hybrid" ring slings have curved seats sewn into the body, similar to the seam in a pouch.

Variation is also found in how the rings attach to the cloth, commonly referred to as "shoulder style".

Basic shoulder styles include gathered, pleated, "hot dog" or "center fold", pouch-style (folded in half) and many variations.

Ring slings are highly adaptable and most care givers can wear a "one size fits most" size. As long as the tail is about 8" long a ring sling is still considered safe.

Tail length is decided by personal preference with most preferring the tail to hit about hip or mid thigh.