[Adta] Harvard Study on touch and responsiveness.

[Heidi ehrenreich]

  > >By Alvin Powell
  > >
  > >Contributing Writer
  > >
  > >America's "let them cry" attitude toward children may lead to more 
fears
  > >and
  > >tears among adults, according to two Harvard Medical School 
researchers.
  > >
  > >Instead of letting infants cry, American parents should keep their 
babies
  > >close, console them when they cry, and bring them to bed with them, 
where
  > >they'll
  > >feel safe, according to Michael L. Commons and Patrice M. Miller,
  > >researchers
  > >at the Medical School's Department of Psychiatry.
  > >
  > >The pair examined childrearing practices here and in other cultures 
and say
  > >the widespread American practice of putting babies in separate beds 
-- even
  > >separate rooms -- and not responding quickly to their cries may 
lead to
  > >incidents
  > >of post-traumatic stress and panic disorders when these children 
reach
  > >adulthood.
  > >
  > >The early stress resulting from separation causes changes in infant 
brains
  > >that makes future adults more susceptible to stress in their lives, 
say
  > >Commons
  > >and Miller.
  > >
  > >"Parents should recognize that having their babies cry 
unnecessarily harms
  > >the baby permanently," Commons said. "It changes the nervous system 
so
  > >they're
  > >overly sensitive to future trauma."
  > >
  > >The Harvard researchers' work is unique because it takes a
  > >cross-disciplinary
  > >approach, examining brain function, emotional learning in infants, 
and
  > >cultural differences, according to Charles R. Figley, director of 
the
  > >Traumatology
  > >Institute at Florida State University and editor of The Journal of
  > >Traumatology.
  > >
  > >"It is very unusual but extremely important to find this kind of
  > >interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research report," Figley 
said. "It
  > >accounts for
  > >cross-cultural differences in children's emotional response and 
their
  > >ability to
  > >cope with stress, including traumatic stress."
  > >
  > >Figley said Commons and Miller's work illuminates a route of 
further study
  > >and could have implications for everything from parents' efforts to
  > >intellectually stimulate infants to practices such as circumcision.
  > >
  > >Commons has been a lecturer and research associate at the Medical 
School's
  > >Department of Psychiatry since 1987 and is a member of the 
Department's
  > >Program
  > >in Psychiatry and the Law.
  > >
  > >Miller has been a research associate at the School's Program in 
Psychiatry
  > >and the Law since 1994 and an assistant professor of psychology at 
Salem
  > >State
  > >College since 1993. She received master's and doctorate degrees in 
human
  > >development from the Graduate School of Education.
  > >
  > >The pair say that American childrearing practices are influenced by 
fears
  > >that children will grow up dependent. But they say that parents are 
on the
  > >wrong
  > >track: physical contact and reassurance will make children more 
secure and
  > >better able to form adult relationships when they finally head out 
on their
  > >own.
  > >
  > >"We've stressed independence so much that it's having some very 
negative
  > >side
  > >effects," Miller said.
  > >
  > >The two gained the spotlight in February when they presented their 
ideas at
  > >the American Association for the Advancement of Science's annual 
meeting in
  > >Philadelphia.
  > >
  > >Commons and Miller, using data Miller had worked on that was 
compiled by
  > >Robert A. LeVine, Roy Edward Larsen Professor of Education and Human
  > >Development,
  > >contrasted American childrearing practices with those of other 
cultures,
  > >particularly the Gusii people of Kenya. Gusii mothers sleep with 
their
  > >babies and
  > >respond rapidly when the baby cries.
  > >
  > >"Gusii mothers watching videotapes of U.S. mothers were upset by 
how long
  > >it
  > >took these mothers to respond to infant crying," Commons and Miller 
said in
  > >their paper on the subject.
  > >
  > >The way we are brought up colors our entire society, Commons and 
Miller
  > >say.
  > >Americans in general don't like to be touched and pride themselves 
on
  > >independence to the point of isolation, even when undergoing a 
difficult or
  > >stressful
  > >time.
  > >
  > >Despite the conventional wisdom that babies should learn to be 
alone,
  > >Miller
  > >said she believes many parents "cheat," keeping the baby in the 
room with
  >  >them, at least initially. In addition, once the child can crawl 
around,
  > she
  > >believes many find their way into their parents' room on their own.
  > >
  > >American parents shouldn't worry about this behavior or be afraid 
to baby
  > >their babies, Commons and Miller said. Parents should feel free to 
sleep
  > >with
  > >their infant children, to keep their toddlers nearby, perhaps on a 
mattress
  > >in
  > >the same room, and to comfort a baby when it cries.
  > >
  > >"There are ways to grow up and be independent without putting babies
  > >through
  > >this trauma," Commons said. "My advice is to keep the kids secure 
so they
  > >can
  > >grow up and take some risks."
  > >
  > >Besides fears of dependence, the pair said other factors have 
helped form
  > >our
  > >childrearing practices, including fears that children would 
interfere with
  > >sex if they shared their parents' room and doctors' concerns that a 
baby
  > >would
  > >be injured by a parent rolling on it if the parent and baby shared 
the bed.
  > >Additionally, the nation's growing wealth has helped the trend 
toward
  > >separation
  > >by giving families the means to buy larger homes with separate 
rooms for
  > >children.
  > >
  > >The result, Commons and Miller said, is a nation that doesn't like 
caring
  > >for
  > >its own children, a violent nation marked by loose, nonphysical
  > >relationships.
  > >
  > >"I think there's a real resistance in this culture to caring for 
children,"
  > >Commons said. But "punishment and abandonment has never been a good 
way to
  > >get
  > >warm, caring, independent people."
  >
 
Heidi Ehrenreich
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