Breast Feeding Basics

Breastfeeding is a powerful tool to calm and comfort a distressed child, and according to experts, that distress can go very deep. By breastfeeding our infants for comfort, we may be giving our children a legacy of good mental as well as emotional health.

According to Dr. Shatkin, the director of education and training at New York University ’s Child Study Center, babies can experience depression. “It’s not a terribly common phenomenon. We think maybe one in 40 or so — but it can certainly happen.”

A number of things can cause depression that are out of parents’ control, such as a traumatic birth and subsequent hospitalization, but the home environment can have a big impact on the baby, both for good and for bad.

There are also factors in the home that could contribute to a baby’s distress, such as being neglected in the name of “crying-it-out” or “controlled crying.” No studies have been conducted to verify the safety of leaving a baby alone to cry for any amount of time.

Crying infants experience and increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, increased body temperature, overheating and vomiting due to the extreme stress and all of this can lead to an increased risk of SIDS. Not only that, but there could be long term emotional consequences, predisposing the child to increased stress responses later in life and an increased risk depression later in life.

If a baby seems to have trouble eating or sleeping, doesn’t seem to be showing a lot of emotion, or appears irritable, it might be because he is depressed.

Breastfeeding calms and soothes a sad, fussy baby. It provides physical and emotional stimulation and comfort. So don’t hold back. Take that fussy baby into your arms, day or night, and breastfeed him. You’ll both be glad you did.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 3rd, 2008 at 2:12 pm and is filed under Benefits for Baby.
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