Some time ago, I was asked if I would participate in a virtual book tour by reviewing a new book, "Why Babies Do That: Baffling Baby Behavior Explained," by Jennifer Margulis.
Of course, given that I was expecting Spuds when I received the offer, I jumped on the opportunity to learn why, in fact, babies do such things as grasp on to things tightly, cry without tears, rub their eyes, drool and oh such more. Each one page chapter attempts to explain this "baffling" baby behavior.
Some of what is explained in the book is not only common sense, but is also often written about in almost every parenting magazine. For example, there is a chapter about "Why Do Newborn Babies Turn Their Heads Towards the Sound of Their Mom or Dad's Voice?" Ms. Margulis reiterates what I have read about a hundred times over -- "... a baby in utero also hears the sound of your voice, and the sound of other people's voices around you...." To be fair, Ms. Margulis does add some new and interesting facts, such as, ".... we [humans] localize the source of a sound by the slight differences in the arrival time of the sound in each ear."
Some of the behavior explained in the book, in my opinion, truly is baffling, like "Why Do Most Babies Lose the Hair They Are Born With?," "Why Do Babies Cry Without Tears?" or "Why Do Some Babies Bang Their Heads Against the Crib?" But some of the other behavior explained is far from baffling and is more silly than anything else. For example, "Why Do Babies Like to Play With Their Own Poop?" and "Why Do Babies Always Try to Put Their Fingers in Electric Sockets?" Ms. Margulis even dedicates a chapter to such silly items as "Why Do Babies Love to Boogie?" and "Why Do Babies Always Look So Darn Cute?" And still other behavior explained is not at all baffling but is medically curious, like, "Why Do Babies Get Acne?" or "Why Do Newborn Babies Have Poop That is Mustard-Colored and Seedy Looking?"
Overall, if you don't read a lot of parenting magazines and you're a first-time Mother or Mom-to-be, the book is enjoyable and is a quick and easy read. Otherwise, it's nothing more than basic entertainment with a smattering of a couple new and fun facts. So why do babies love to boogie? "Dancing is fun!"
