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Crabby Babies Fare Better With Family Over Day Care, Study Shows
Filed under: In The News, Research Reveals: Babies
Fussy babies are better off with mommy than day care. Credit: Getty Images
Indefinitely.
But, alas, even if you don't want to be around the crabby little so-and-so, researchers at the University of Iowa say he wants to be with you.
In fact, he needs to be with you. Otherwise, he won't form that important parent-child bond and he's only going to get crabbier. Then God help us all.
The website LiveScience reports researchers found crabby kids do better when they are cared for by their parents or other family members.
"People have always thought of irritable, difficult babies as being more likely to have poor outcomes if they have stresses," researcher Beth Troutman, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Iowa, tells LiveScience.
"But the other side of that is that they're more likely to have good outcomes if they have more positive supportive environments," she adds.
Troutman's team assessed 48 babies for their level of crabbiness between 1999 and 2002, starting when the tots were just 1 month old.
During their babies' first years, moms were interviewed four times and were asked who had watched the baby over the past week and for how long. When the babies were 1 year old, they were videotaped interacting with their moms to see how well the two had emotionally bonded.
Researchers found the more time crabby babies spent in day care, the less likely they were to bond with their mothers. The non-crabby kiddies didn't have that problem.
Crabby babies may be particularly sensitive to their surroundings, Troutman tells LiveScience. Day care providers may not be able to respond to every cry, she adds.
"In a day care setting, it's hard to respond to six babies, and the irritable crying baby might not get as much attention or support in day care," Troutman tells the website.
Troutman adds that parents shouldn't make sweeping generalizations about day care based on this one study. However, if parents have sufficient resources, she nonetheless suggests they spend more time with their babies.
Especially the crabby ones.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
11-07-2010 @ 8:59PM
Anonymous said...It would be natural that a small helpless infant would prefer the person who carried them for nine months in the womb, and gave birth to them to a total stranger. Do people really need to waste their time and money proving this? The worst thing about day care is the workers are providing at best custodial care and usually do not develop an emotional bond with the children. The mother is the one who molds an infants brain. It is best if they care for their children as long as they possibly can or at least until the child is old enough to verbalize their needs, use a toilet independently and feed self independently.
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11-08-2010 @ 12:36AM
Working Mother said...I dont know what daycare you take your child to, but my son's teachers have a very strong bond with him. He loves his teacher very much, always giving them hugs when he sees them in and OUT of daycare. I visit him all the time during my lunch and even stay a little bit when I drop him off reading him a story. Everything I have ever witnessed has been nothing but love and great care to him. I do not have the luck of being a stay at home mom, because both myself and husband are active duty military. Daycares have to be researched throughly and that is what we did with ours. I paid very close attention how the teachers were handling the children and was impressed by what I saw. If your paying for it them make sure your giving your child the best possible care case closed!
11-08-2010 @ 10:10AM
liv said...of course he WANTS to be with you and NEEDS to be with you. he's a BABY! and i don't know what baby wouldn't be better off with a loving family than at a day care! no matter what child care route you have to go though, Http://bit.ly/BABYlanding has some good FREE stuff you can take advantage of.
11-07-2010 @ 9:22PM
DaycareProvider said...Babies don't cry for no reason. Sometimes it's teething pain, sometimes they are just overly tired and/or over-stimulated, and simply need to cry for about five minutes, to relieve tension, so they can sleep.
I've taken care of babies for 35 years, and here is my advice:
Don't let a crying baby fluster you! No matter how loudly and insistently she might cry, just remember, she is NOT on fire! Her need is not as urgent as she thinks it is! Just stay calm, take your time, and assess the situation.
I currently care for a six month old who sometimes has a panicky cry. Her bed is right next to my chair, so I see her awaken. Sometime she slowly stirs, then makes a quiet sound, rolls over on her back and looks at me...
Sometimes she awakens with what is obviously a pain cry. I try to give her a bottle, and she'll move it over to the side of her mouth, which tells me that her gums hurt in the front. 15-20 minutes after some Ora Jel and Ibuprofen, (aceteminophen is uselss, for pain) she is ready to eat.
Sometimes, if she sleeps past her mealtime, she'll awaken with an angry, panicky cry, as if to say "Why didn't you wake me up and tell me I was hungry?!" I get her up and she continus making panicy noises, until the bottle is in her mouth. I choose to find this humorous, rather than becoming annoyed with her. I make funny comments about how rediculous she is being.
Hearing myself joke like this relieves the tension.
Over the years I have learned that a good sense of humor helps a LOT, in dealing with the sometimes unreasonableness of babies.
It also helps to have genuine compassion. As much as it might seem like it, the baby is not out to torture you!
My heart goes out to young, overstressed mothers. A baby's cry sometimes does seem like a very unfair and persistent criticism. Don't take it personally! Once you have done all that you can do (fed, changed, medicated) and tried soothing things - like a swing - if the baby still cries, let her cry! She probably just needs to de-stress.
If you believe your baby's crying signifies a medical problem, don't let anyone make you back down! Get a second and third opinion.
My daughter was told that she was just an overly concerned mother. At her third vist to the ER, she finally got a doctor who discovered my grandson had meningitis! Trust your mother instincts!
A VERY COMMON cause of a fussy baby is a reaction too being unable to properly digest their formula.
I have NEVER seen a baby have a problem with Carnation Good Start. NEVER.
Similac, on the other hand, is notorious for causing stomach problems. I have seen that A LOT. Even with their new "easy to digest" formula.
In my experience, CARNATION GOOD START has always been the answer to fussiness caused by formula.
As for daycare providers, again - trust your instincts. And drop by - or have your mother, grandma, sister or aunt drop by unexpectedly.
(Though when it comes to naptime, my policy is "You wake 'em - you watch 'em! I need that break in my 10-12 hour day.)
BTW, if your income is below 150% of the povery line (charts available on the internet) you are eligible for a HEFTY daycare subsidy through Job and Family Services! They are listed in your phone book under your county listings.
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