Health Tip: Bonding With Your Infant

(HealthDay News) -- Developing an intimate relationship with your newborn appears key to your baby's social and mental development, the Nemours Foundation says.

Bonding provides the infant with initial exposure to intimacy and helps foster the infant's self-esteem, the Foundation says.

Here are the Foundation's suggestions for new parents to promote bonding with their infants:

• Provide soothing touch and skin-to-skin contact.

• Engage in eye-to eye contact with baby at close range.

• Move an object back and forth in front of baby's face.

• Make lots of faces and gestures for your baby to watch, learn and mimic.

• Talk to your baby frequently to foster a familiarity with your voice.