Babywearing Resources

Sometimes parents are warned that wearing their infant in an upright baby carrier causes damage to an infant’s spine.  Our research has failed to uncover any scientific evidence linking babywearing generally or any specific kind of baby carriers on the market today with adverse spinal conditions. 

In 1996, a chiropractor named Rochelle L. Casses published an article called “Infant Carriers and Spinal Stress” on the Continuum Concept website.¹ Casses’ article is often cited to criticize the use of upright carriers generally and in support of the use of sling style carriers.  In her article, Casses speculates that we would see an increase in infant and child spinal conditions as a result of the use of upright baby carriers – no actual scientific study was conducted.  Twelve years later, however, there is no indication that Casses’ prediction was correct.  There is no evidence of an increase in infant spinal problems as a result of the use of upright carriers. 

Indeed, the only actual scientific research on the topic indicates the opposite – that the use of upright carriers does not cause adverse spinal conditions. The following summary is translated from the German and is published on a website promoting the Didymos baby carrier in Germany. 

A longitudinal study of 192 children (Kirkilionis, 1989, 1992) of carrying methods, demonstrating the daily duration of carrying and the start of carrying showed no relationship between carrying in the upright position and an increase in postural damage. There was no increase in the number of spinal abnormalities in children who spent 2 to 2 1/2 hours a day in carrying devices nor among infants who were carried for 4, 5, 6 or more hours daily – some from as early as the first week of life. None of the children later showed postural abnormalities which could be attributed to early carrying. However, by the age of school entry 4 of the 192 children showed slight postural abnormalities which needed no treatment: 2 siblings, who had been carried for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours a day starting from 6 months old showed a slight rounding of their backs. Another pair of siblings presented with a slight scoliosis that had occurred several times on the mothers side. One of these children had been carried between 1 and 2 hours a day, the other 6 to 8 hours (3 further siblings, who had also spent 6 to 8 hours a day as early as in the first two weeks in carrying devices, showed no postural abnormalities) (Kirkilionis 1994a). The number of postural abnormalities in the children of the study does not exceed the percentage of such abnormalities of children at school starting age. This shows that the fear of postural damage is unfounded. There is therefore no need to fear spinal damage in the children.  (emphasis added).  Quite often there were questions regarding back problems for the mothers in the questionnaires. The strain on the back which increases naturally with the growing weight of the child intensifies previously present back problems of the mothers or develops them at that time. This is especially the case if the weight of the child is relatively high when the mother starts carrying. It is therefore also a good idea for these parents to start carrying early, because the lower early weight of a baby limits the strain on the carrying person. The mother can slowly become accustomed to the increasing demand on her body by the growing weight of her child. This results in a kind of firming of the body which at least reduces the strain of carrying.²

While the legitimacy of this article and the study that it discusses has not been confirmed, it appears to be the sole research available on this issue.  The cited study reveals that the fear of postural damage from the use of upright baby carriers is unfounded.  This article also reinforces the very real concern of postural damage to the parent by using a carrier that does not transfer the child’s weight properly. 

The Belle Baby carrier has a soft lightly structured back panel designed to gently support the baby’s spine while allowing the spine to curve naturally.  The easily adjustable buckles at the sides of the carrier allow the parent to fine tune how snug the carrier holds the fabric around the baby and how upright the baby sits.  We recommend pulling the carrier tight enough to hold the child securely, so that the child does not have to use his own back muscles to support himself - but not so tight that baby’s spine is completely straightened.  

Not only does the Belle support your child’s spine, it also transfers the child’s weight to the parent’s waist, decreasing the chance of postural damage to the parent.