Helen L. Ball and Charlotte K. Russell
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199755059
- eISBN:
- 9780199979479
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199755059.003.0014
- Subject:
- Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Evolutionary Psychology
Consideration of the phylogenetic depth and cross-cultural breadth of mother–infant biology and behavior illuminates contemporary infant care. Three key “ancestral environments” (AEs) have defined ...
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Consideration of the phylogenetic depth and cross-cultural breadth of mother–infant biology and behavior illuminates contemporary infant care. Three key “ancestral environments” (AEs) have defined the care requirements of newborn humans (lactation, frequent suckling, and maternal close contact). These evolved requirements have been challenged by various “new cultural environments” (NCEs) propelling infant care in directions that are incongruent with evolved maternal and infant biology (e.g., postpartum separation of mothers and infants, widespread acceptance of nonhuman milk feeding). As a consequence, over the past century, infant feeding and sleeping have become decoupled from the mother's body—with far-reaching ramifications.Less
Consideration of the phylogenetic depth and cross-cultural breadth of mother–infant biology and behavior illuminates contemporary infant care. Three key “ancestral environments” (AEs) have defined the care requirements of newborn humans (lactation, frequent suckling, and maternal close contact). These evolved requirements have been challenged by various “new cultural environments” (NCEs) propelling infant care in directions that are incongruent with evolved maternal and infant biology (e.g., postpartum separation of mothers and infants, widespread acceptance of nonhuman milk feeding). As a consequence, over the past century, infant feeding and sleeping have become decoupled from the mother's body—with far-reaching ramifications.
Patricia Hamilton
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- September 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781529207934
- eISBN:
- 9781529207958
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781529207934.003.0005
- Subject:
- Sociology, Race and Ethnicity
This chapter focuses on sleep as a universal and widely debated topic for parents and parenting experts. It talks about the where, when, and how of infant sleep that motivates public awareness ...
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This chapter focuses on sleep as a universal and widely debated topic for parents and parenting experts. It talks about the where, when, and how of infant sleep that motivates public awareness campaigns, forum discussions, scholarly research, and parenting literature as each offers different solutions to the problem of managing babies' sleep. It also mentions the danger associated with the sleeping habit of babies, specifically the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The chapter mentions Back to Sleep as the most famous anti-SIDS campaigns in the mid-1990s, which advised parents to put babies to sleep on their backs. It examines bedsharing as the attachment parenting's solution to the problem of sleep, which is defined as a baby and its caregiver sharing an adult bed.Less
This chapter focuses on sleep as a universal and widely debated topic for parents and parenting experts. It talks about the where, when, and how of infant sleep that motivates public awareness campaigns, forum discussions, scholarly research, and parenting literature as each offers different solutions to the problem of managing babies' sleep. It also mentions the danger associated with the sleeping habit of babies, specifically the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The chapter mentions Back to Sleep as the most famous anti-SIDS campaigns in the mid-1990s, which advised parents to put babies to sleep on their backs. It examines bedsharing as the attachment parenting's solution to the problem of sleep, which is defined as a baby and its caregiver sharing an adult bed.
