Thanks for the links, the info I have read has been very insightful an
informative. I will print some more off when I get some more printer
ink!!
:-) Katrina
On 17/12/2004, at 7:24 PM, Pinky McKay wrote:
Hi all,
I have been off line for the past week - looks like an interesting
discussion.
While I absolutely believe mothers need support and there should be no
blame placed/ attacks on each other for choices of parenting style,
just as for any other choices - birth, infant feeding etc, as people
working with new parents, we do need to encourage INFORMED choice.
While there appear to be no studies of the specific effects of
controlled crying (this would require longitudinal studies over years)
, there are studies into the physiology of infant stress and being
left to cry it out is included in this in a number of papers by mental
health professionals, including trauma specialist Bruce Perry who
discusses how babies cant react to threat with a fight or flight
response so react with a "freeze" response - ie they "shut down"
(this reference is listed in the AIMHI paper). Translated to
controlled crying, this is what happens as infants become stressed by
being left to cry it out - they arent "learning" to sleep. There is
some compelling evidence that early stress can mess up the cortisol
release mechanism in the developing brain, predisposing infants to
stress and anxiety disorders THROUGHOUT life.
Rather than justifying harsh practices by waiting until there is a
body of evidence to prove harm, it is worth considering that there
can be a vast difference between "no evidence of harm" and "evidence
of no harm".
Some babies will inevitably be more "at risk" than others - one of the
saddest emails I have received was from a mother whose one year old
slept after a week of controlled crying but also stopped talking and
refusing all physical contact from her. A year later he was still not
talking and was going to an older sibling for comfort. I have since
had experience of another child who reacted by stopping talking. Many
babies become extremely clingy and if they start waking again will
almost certainly be much more difficult to settle, often staying awake
for hours rather than just needing a quick reassurance or breastfeed
as had often been the case prior to controlled crying.
Mostly, from my personal observations/ emails/ phone calls from
distraught , pressured mothers, it seems that sleep training is widely
offered as the only/sensible option and mothers who respond to night
time needs are feeling very pressured that they are doing things
"wrong" and "creating bad habits" . I feel it is very simplistic to
suggest that controlled crying will solve the problem of tired mothers
- we shouldnt be pitting babies needs against mothers but rather
seeking ways to support women to ask for help and develop networks for
practical support - learning to say "no" to excessive demands and
nurturing oneself are life skills whatever teh age of our kids. Most
people are happy to share the joy of a baby in return for a few
errands - ie dropping older kids to school, sitting with a baby/
taking it for a walk while mum has a nap .
It is also worth noting that there are now at least two mother baby
units in Melbourne where mothers are supported without controlled
crying at all! - interestingly staff are reporting less maternal
stress and babies are developing better sleep patterns as mothers are
nurtured - there ARE gentle ways to change things that dont compromise
babies needs or mothers instincts to respond.
Tomorrows (Friday) Herald Sun will have an article re sleep training
-I am sure I will be quoted on my personal views of "puppy training
for babies" and there will also be an interview of "the other side".
Meanwhile here are a few articles/ papers that can be accessed online
- the references at the end of the AIMHI paper also make compelling
reading .
Pinky
www.pinky-mychild.com
CONTROLLED CRYING: AAIMHI POSITION PAPER - includes refs.
http://www.afcca.com.au/Files/Child%20Crying%20AAIMHI.doc
Why love matters - how affection shapes a baby's brain .
http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,12084,1262302,00.html
Stress in Infancy by Linda Folden Palmer, D.C.
http://www.naturalchild.com/guest/linda_folden_palmer2.html
Emotional Learning in Infants: A Cross-Cultural Examination
Michael Lamport Commons, Ph.D. Harvard Medical School
Patrice Marie Miller, Ph.D. Harvard Medical School and Salem State
College
http://www.naturalchild.com/research/emotional_learning_infants.html
----- Original Message ----- From: "Graham and Helen"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au>
Sent: Monday, December 13, 2004 12:02 PM
Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] AAIMHI Policy Paper on Controlled Crying
Thanks for posting this Abby - it is a good reference document to
have.
At the end of the document it states that the "references ...are not
specifically to studies on the impact of controlled crying on infants
because there are no records of such studies". That surprised me!
Anyone know of any that have been done already?! Anyone interested
in doing one??!!!
Helen
----- Original Message ----- From: "Abby and Toby"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au>
Sent: Monday, December 13, 2004 9:45 PM
Subject: [ozmidwifery] AAIMHI Policy Paper on Controlled Crying
Hi,
Thought I would post a link to this for anyone that may not have
seen it.
The policy certainly challenges much of the popular thinking about
sleep
training and such.
http://www.aaimhi.org/documents/position%20papers/
controlled_crying.pdf
Love Abby
--
This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics.
Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
__________ NOD32 1.946 (20041213) Information __________
This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system.
http://www.nod32.com
--
This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics.
Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
--
This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics.
Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
--
This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics.
Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
