Barefoot Babies: Happier And Smarter?

Your baby took off his shoes and there you go again. You do not allow what is one of their most common fixations and at the same time the annoyance of mothers. Yet science claims that your specter suppresses the growth of children. But what exactly does research say about barefoot babies?

We usually talk about three basic principles: freedom, happiness and intelligence. In this sense, this controversial study that is going around the world goes against the tendency to cover the feet of children from an early age. It also debunks myths about colds, etiquette, and physical issues.

The title of the study is: “Preventive Podiatry: Barefoot Babies Result in Smarter Children” . The Complutense University of Madrid in Spain conducted this study. If babies feel comfortable and happy, can explore and develop well, why not leave their feet bare?

What does science say?

For babies, physical movement and sensory stimulation through their bare feet is an accelerator of the child’s proprioceptive and intellectual fulfillment and development.

Throughout the study, the advertising and sale of shoes to “crawlers” is criticized. Similarly, the overly pediatric recommendation to wear shoes on infants is also challenged. This would only be good to keep the feet warm.

Gentil García warns that covering the child’s feet robs them of all tangible information and perception of the position and movement of their bodies in relation to space. According to the expert , barefoot babies’ motor skills mature faster, in addition to their visual and manual coordination.

So through an interdisciplinary approach, they emphasize the importance of leaving the babies barefoot. They insist that the feet represent a path that provides the baby with information about the outside world. This allows them to become familiar with different surfaces and textures.

The role of the foot for these barefoot babies

In the field of neurology, it is believed that baby feet are more sensitive to touch than their hands. This remains so until they are ten months old. During those first months of life, the feet thus perform an essential function: the baby’s experimentation and learning through tactile contact.

For this reason, the University of Madrid article strongly advocates leaving babies barefoot. When they put on shoes, they are robbed of observable information that may play an important role in their central nervous system.

According to Piaget’s developmental stages of intelligence, in the sensorimotor stage, manipulation, movement, and the organization of sensory information are all important. This provides the child with the first conceptualization of itself, space, time and causality.

For this reason, feet are considered to be preferred receptors that contribute to the development of the baby’s intelligence.  It is the result of a complex interaction between their bodies and their environment. Because one of the environmental factors most involved is their knowledge of their own bodies.

In addition, barefoot babies who place their feet on all types of surfaces – even if they are irregular – have better muscle development. They carry no extra weight on their body and they can move freely. This allows for more control over their bodies.

Benefits of being barefoot

All children love to walk around barefoot. Like to be naked. Regardless of the impact this may have on their health, which is the main concern for their parents. However, this use does not only contribute to the comfort of the child. It also offers many advantages:

• It increases their self-knowledge if they can see the movements of their toes and can feel and smell them.
• It aids in the development of the arches  and prevents flat feet.
• It facilitates and stimulates the walking of children.
• It offers sensory experiences to the little one.
• It prevents bacteria and sweat, which can cause fungus, calluses and foul odors on the feet.

Barefoot Babies: Freer, Smarter & Happier Kids

Adults often get nervous when they see barefoot babies. But children prefer to be without clothes. This study calms that concern by showing that these children are happier barefoot.

Research claims that barefoot babies have a deeper connection to their environment and experience the world in a different way. At the same time, the more they use it to perceive their environment, these children learn to know their bodies in a different way.

“At the beginning of the development of a child’s intelligence, they see no difference between themselves and the outside world. It’s all stored as one chunk,” the specialists say. But as part of that “chunk”, the crawling baby has to explore. They should be able to feel textures directly as part of their learning process.

And what about you? Did you know how important it was to leave your child barefoot? Will you now put aside those beautiful shoes that you intended to wear at such a young age? What is your opinion on this scientific study?