"The touched infants, in these studies and others, cried less, had better temperaments, and so were more appealing to their parents, which is important because the 7 percent of babies born prematurely figure disproportionately among those who are victims of child abuse... A 1988 New York Times article on the critical role of touch in child development reported 'psychological and physical stunting of infants deprived of physical contact, although otherwise fed and cared for...'" (Ackerman, 73)
Human babies are brought into the world from an encompassing world of touch, allowing them to grow and mature into something living and beautiful in only 9 months’ time. A whole new life is created from microscopic cells through this process of gestation within the mother’s womb. However, once they exit during birth, they are only beginning in their process to becoming a fully functioning human being. Without a continual exposure to the loving warmth of those who care for them they will remain immature and unformed. In this same way, a clay sculpture remains a blank block of dirt and water, the grains of sand comparative cells, until a pair of hands comes along and, through loving and gentle touch, forms it into something mature and complete. The more touch and attention that are given to the piece, the more it is shaped into something individual and unique. This piece of clay, yet incomplete and unfired is awaiting its fate as forever unfinished, to be neglected and used for another project. Or, through loving attention, brought into its own as a fully formed piece of art, just as infants are reliant on their parents to form them into the best that they can be from the day that they are born.
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