Winnie,
I, too, came away from this program with a great deal of distress over the  
emotional and psychological health of the babies involved.  And I fear it  will 
only get worse, as they bring on the toddlers next week.  Here is a  news 
release from Zero to Three which I received the day of the program:
 
Kathy Parkes, BSPsy, RN, IBCLC, RLC
 
ZERO  TO THREE Statement Regarding NBC's Reality Series "Baby  Borrowers"
“It’s not TV, it’s birth  control” is how NBC promotes its new reality 
series “Baby Borrowers.” On June  25th, the show will be launched on national 
television as an “intriguing new  social experiment that asks five diverse 
teenage couples to fast-track to  adulthood by setting up a home, getting a job and 
becoming caring  parents.”  Unfortunately, the NBC series exploits very young 
children  in the pursuit of entertainment. 
The babies and toddlers participating in this series  will be separated from 
their parents and caregivers for three days. Unfamiliar  teenagers will take 
care of them during this time. This setup can be very  harmful for the babies 
and toddlers involved. For the past 80 years, many  studies have shown 
unequivocally that babies and toddlers suffer when they are  exposed to this kind of 
prolonged separation from family and left with  people that they do not know or 
love. As all parents know, babies and toddlers  are very distressed by 
separation. They cry, cling, and search for their  parents. The longer the 
separation, the more upset they become. Some children  are unable to sleep and refuse t
o eat. The responses routinely last long past  the child’s reunion with the 
parent. Prolonged separations heighten young  children’s separation anxiety and 
damage their trust that their parents will be  available to protect and care 
for them. Children can become angry and rejecting  of their parents after being 
reunited with them, damaging the fabric of the  child-parent relationship.  
These findings have become the basis for a new science  of early childhood. A 
robust body of early childhood development and brain  research clearly 
confirms the critical nature of early development. It is a time  when young children 
form attachments with parents and caregivers, develop  security and a sense 
of self, and learn what to expect from the world around  them. Studies show 
that babies and toddlers need to feel safe and secure in  order to form a 
positive sense of self, to form healthy relationships, and to  feel confident to 
explore their world. This sense of security is dependent  on the availability and 
stability of their trusted primary  caregivers. Being separated for a 
three-day period from a parent or  trusted, familiar adult, and being thrust 
into the care of a total stranger who  has no experience with the child—how he 
or she is comforted, likes to be fed,  held, etc.—and who has no experience 
caring for young children at all, can be  very stressful for the child.   
As a “safeguard,” NBC has hired a nanny to be nearby in  case there are 
concerns.    However the nanny is no more familiar  to that child than the two 
strangers who will be caring for him for three  days. The nanny does not know him 
or what his signals 
mean—such as what  he needs when he cries out in the middle of the night, or 
how he shows he is  hungry, tired, or is overwhelmed and needs a break from 
play. Moreover, even  though the parents of these young children are watching 
via closed-circuit  television, the babies are not aware of that and have no way 
of knowing how  long the parents will be gone.   
Legitimate social experiments are not conducted on national  television or on 
reality shows. "Baby Borrowers" may have a catchy theme,  but it exploits 
young children with potential harmful consequences. This is no  social 
experiment. It is an extremely misguided endeavor that puts at  risk our most vulnerable 
citizens, young children who need our love  and protection.



**************Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for 
fuel-efficient used cars.      (http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut00050000000007)

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome