Mothers cradle babies on the left because it helps them get in tune with their child, psychologists have claimed.
Research by Victoria Bourne and Brenda Todd, from the University of Sussex, indicates that left-cradling helps trigger emotional responses in the mother's brain.
Miss Bourne said: "For most people, the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body and helps to process emotions.
"Our findings suggest that, for mothers with this typical brain organisation, left cradling is the best position for interpreting a baby's wellbeing.
"The right hemisphere of the brain has also been shown to be better than the left at tasks needing external attention."
Previous research showed 70 to 85 per cent of women and girls cradled babies to the left.
The researchers recruited more than 30 undergraduates to test their theory.
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