stress
Infant sleep disorders and maternal
post-natal depression are serious problems
When an infant is not getting enough sleep, neither is the mother. When a mother
is experiencing post natal depression, her emotions may be affecting the infant's
ability to sleep.
A study in BMJ
2002 (May 4); 324: 1062 examines this serious, interrelated
problem. It fails however to look at other potential causes and tendencies
of depression in the mother. The International Cesarean Awareness Network has
a wonderful section on postpartum
depression . Traumatic delivery is a definate contributing factor to a
woman's potential for post partum depression, with c-sections contributing
significantly.
In the child, continuous crying due to their experience of birth trauma (both
physical and emotional) contributes further to the mother's suceptability.
This article addresses the long
term effects of pain and stress on newborns .
Just another reason for us to care for more pregnant women offering them the
potential of a safer, easier birth with chiropractic care and to educate them
about their birth options prior to birth
Stressed Babies May be Prone to Trouble Later
A recent article in Reuters discussed the effects stress has on babies future
emotional development. Scientists have found levels of the stress hormone cortisol
to be much higher in crying babies. Dr. Michael Commons of the Harvard Medical
School suggested that constant stimulation by cortisol in infancy caused physical
changes in the brain. He proposes that our modern societies do not offer enough
physical touching and interacting with infants leading to higher levels of
stress.
Read
the entire article
Sleep-Debt Linked with Temper Tantrums
A new study confirms what many parents, teachers and doctors have suspected:
Lack of sleep provokes behavioral problems in young children. Specifically,
2- and 3- year-olds who sleep less than 10 hours per 24-hour period are nearly
25% more likely to have a clinically diagnosed behavior-related psychiatric
disorder, such as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and attention deficit
disorder (ADD), compared with children who sleep at least 10 hours in a 24-hour
period, say researchers. The study enrolled 510 youngsters, aged 2 to 5 years.
Lavigne JV, Arend R, Rosenbaum D, Smith A, Weissbluth M, Binns HJ, Christoffel
KK Sleep
and behavior problems among preschoolers J Dev Behav Pediatr
1999 (Jun); 20 (3): 164-169
Read
research on chiropractic and sleep disorders in children
Stressed
Babies May be Prone to Trouble Later