Psychologists in North Carolina say wearing velcro-covered mittens could help babies develop more quickly.
The Duke University team found babies wearing the mittens learned to snag and explore many objects more quickly.
Those who used the mitten showed more sophisticated abilities to explore objects.
The researchers placed the mittens on babies aged between two and three months who were still too young to grasp objects.
The mittens allowed the babies to snag Velcro-fitted toys merely by swiping at them.
Researchers say the findings emphasize the importance of providing plenty of opportunities for small children to learn about the world around them.
The research was sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health.
Lead officer Amy Needham, associate professor of psychological and brain sciences, told Science Daily"We found that the babies who had experience with the mittens outperformed the babies who didn't in a number of ways.
"For example, whether the experienced babies had the gloves off or on, they looked more at objects. And, with the mittens on, they produced more swipes at objects that were immediately preceded by visual contact."
The psychologists plan to carry out further tests to see whether wearing the mittens will have long-term consequences for each child's development.
Story filed: 18:45 Thursday 19th September 2002
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