In 1914 a doctor complained about how difficult it was to gather mortality
statistics in American orphanages.
In 9 out of 10 of them ALL orphans under the age of 2 died.

Child rearing advice them, written mostly by men, said children should not
be handled...
Mortality rates in hospitals were also high. Within a week or so the
children would start to die.
During WWII the British had similar occurrences and found out that just
picking a kid up and "handling" it solved the problem.

The good old days when we were much more christian, or so they say.

It's better today but I still remember sitting at a table, drinking coffee
and BSing in a shelter with five battered women.
A toddler who had just learned to walk staggered towards me and I picked him
up.

Total silence.

I wondered what I had done and how much trouble I was in.

Finally the kids mom said that she wished her husband had paid that much
attention to the child...
They all agreed.

Well, I said it and I'm still depressed. Hope it does not bother others as
much.