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