Mothers who cradle their baby to their right-hand side are displaying signs of extreme stress that could lead to depression, a Durham University study has suggested. The Durham researchers suggest that new mothers' baby-cradling habits are a key indicator of whether stress could become overwhelming and lead to depression. The study, published in the online version of The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry , studied 79 new mothers and their babies, who were an average of seven months old.