Cultural Differences in Baby Handling

Caregivers across cultures vary in the ways they carry and handle babies varying  how much movement is allowed early in development. Some cultures, such as various Indigenous communities in the South American Andes, restrict movement in the first few months after birth by swaddling the infant tightly in a waltha. Restricting their babies’ movement is likely adaptive and  protective, given the extreme cold temperatures and high altitudes of the Andes that leave babies susceptible to hypoxia (i.e., lack of oxygen).  Read Karasik et al (2018) article describing the traditional practice of cradling used in Tajikistan, a country in Central Asia.  In a 500-word essay, describe the practice and discuss in relation to babies’ states of arousal (pp. 95-98). Reflect on the potential cultural motivations behind the practice.  Discuss the relation between the gahvora and the babies’ state of arousal. Think more deeply about babies’ different states of arousal. Bring in more information about the amount of time infants actually spend in different states of arousal aside from sleeping (i.e., moving around versus sleeping) – what are your thoughts on this cradling practice when looking through this lens? In addition, you did not go into much detail about the environment in Tajikistan. What about the environment of Tajikistan makes cradling a necessary way of life to ensure infant survival? Work on organizing your essay more clearly and making better connections between the different parts of the body of your essay – what is the gahvora practice; describe the practice in relation to babies’ states of arousal; reflect on cultural/environmental motivations behind the practice. Lastly, make sure you are using APA style citations throughout your essay.