כל מי שניסה פעם להרדים תינוק לישון במהלך הלילה שמע בוודאי על שתי גישות: "ד"ר פרבר" (שיטה שפיתחה ד"ר פרבר ומבוססת על ליטוף אנרגטי של התינוק) וגישת
Anyone who's ever tried to get a baby to sleep through the night has probably heard of two main approaches: "Ferber-izing" and the Dr. Sears approach.
But now both experts appear to be changing their tunes.
"Ferber-izing" was named after pediatrician Dr. Richard Ferber, who advocated in his landmark 1985 book, Solving Your Child's Sleep Problems, an approach that lets babies "cry it out" for progressively longer periods until babies can fall asleep on their own and sleep through the night.
Many parents swear by Ferber-izing; others find it cruel and unnecessary. But in a coming new edition of his book, Ferber is backing off his controversial system.
Ferber now says that letting children cry "was not meant to be the way to treat all sleep problems" in all children.
In his updated book coming out this spring, the doctor makes it clear that some children, such as those suffering from anxiety, will not be helped by the crying method. His new book suggests there are other solutions besides "crying it out."
At the same time, a pediatrician on the other end of the scale, Dr. William Sears, is adjusting his so-called "attachment parenting" approach.
Sears' method encourages parents to respond to their children on demand, day or night. The father of eight has also long advised parents to sleep with their children and cuddle them often.
His approach has also been controversial, with many saying his philosophy translates into ineffectual parents and demanding children.
Sears says he now thinks his earlier books placed too much emphasis on catering to the baby's needs, and did not address the parents' needs enough. In his new book, The Baby Sleep Book, published last month, he advocates ensuring that parents get their sleep and that if mothers are sleep-deprived, it may be time to wean the baby off nighttime feedings.
Parents of newborns would be forgiven if they complained of confusing mixed messages from the so-called experts. Just last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a series of pronouncements on sleep strategies that included allowing children to use pacifiers to fall asleep, despite worries that they may interfere with breastfeeding.
As well, they advised that babies not sleep in their parents' beds, as Dr. Sears recommends, saying it can lead to SIDS -- sudden infant death syndrome. Nor do they advocate putting babies to sleep on their sides. But they did suggest that babies sleep in their parents' room.
User Tools
Print This Page
E-Mail Story
Feedback
Health Stories
Baby sleep experts changing their tune
Exercise can add 3 years to life, finds study
Duck virus tests taking longer than expected
Audit faults FDA on morning-after pill Plan B
Hops in beer may be healthy: researchers
New research says chilly feet can bring on a cold
China to vaccinate all poultry against bird flu
Research shows 20-minute CPR class is effective
Video
CTV News: Todd Battis with advice for bed time 1:46
Related Stories
New SIDS policy recommends pacifiers
Visits from nurse, midwife may prevent baby blues
Breastfeeding urged for preemie babies
Web Links
Dr. Sears' website
American Academy of Pediatrics on reducing SIDS
User Tools
Print This Page
E-Mail Story
Feedback
About CTV | Careers | CTV Announcements | Advertise on TV | Advertise on Web
Archive Sales | Tapes and Transcripts | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Contact Us | Site Map
תגובות
רגע, שקט פה מדי
דעתך חשובה - תהיו הראשונים להגיב על הכתבה