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Children pushed in buggies which face away from their parents may suffer longterm emotional and
language problems, according to a study published on Friday.
The research, believed to be the first of its kind, found that children who were not facing the person
pushing them were less likely to talk, laugh and interact with their parents.
The findings were based on a study of 2,722 parents and babies and an experiment where 20 babies
were wheeled in buggies for a mile, facing their parents for half the journey and facing away for the other
half. Parents using facetoface buggies were twice as likely to talk to their children while the babies' heart
rates fell and they were twice as likely to fall asleep, an indication that they were feeling relaxed and safe.
In addition, only one baby out of the 20 studied laughed while sitting in an awayfacing buggy.
"Our data suggests that for many babies today, life in a buggy is emotionally impoverished and
possibly stressful. Stressed babies grow into anxious adults, " said Dr Suzanne Zeedyk, Developmental
Psychologist at Scotland's Dundee University who carried out the research.
The study, which was published by National Literacy Trust as part of its "Talk To Your Baby"
campaign, found that 62 percent of all children observed travelled in awayfacing buggies.
Zeedyk said it would impact negatively on babies' development if they spent a long time in awayfacing
buggies, which would undermine their ability to communicate with their parent at a time when their brain
was developing rapidly.
Laura Barbour of the Sutton Trust, a social mobility charity which funded the research, said buggy
manufacturers should look closely at the findings.
1. Using awayfacing buggies may________.
A. benefit both the babies and their parents
B. affect babies' language ability permanently
C. help babies communicate with their parents
D. have positive effect on babies' development
2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Parents may talk twice with the babies in awayfacing buggies.
B. The study suggests children feel relaxed and safe in buggies.
C. The samples of the study were 20 babies wheeled in buggies.
D. One of the 20 babies was twice as likely to fall asleep in buggies.
3. The underlined word "impoverished" in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to "________".
A. poor
B. nervous
C. rich
D. energetic
4. National Literacy Trust________.
A. has been funding the research for a long time
B. is a social mobility charity funding the research
C. carried out the study of babies pushed in buggies
D. started the campaign named "Talk To Your Baby"
5. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A. Best for Kids to Face Parents in Buggy
B. Best for Kids to Communicate with Parents
C. Stressed Babies Grow into Anxious Adults
D. Buggy Manufacturers Care about the Finding
