Break out the Bumbo seats – a  new study suggests that your baby may learn better when he or she is sitting up!

Rebecca Woods, the assistant professor of human development and family science at North Dakota State University said recently, “an important part of human cognitive development is the ability to understand whether an object in new is the same or different from an object seen earlier.”

Research now reveals that infants (ages 5.5 or 6.5 months) don’t use patterns to differentiate objects on their own but 6.5-month-olds can be primed to use patterns if they get a chance to look at and touch objects. This is why sitting up is so important. “An advantage the 6-and-a-half-month-olds may have is the ability to sit unsupported, which makes it easier for babies to reach for, grasp and manipulate objects. If babies don’t have to focus on balancing, their attention can be on exploring the object,” Woods explained.

The study was recently published in the journal Developmental Psychology.

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Plus, more from The Bump:

When Do Babies Sit Up?

Baby Milestones: What Will Baby Do When?

When Will My Baby Start Sitting Up?