Hi Nikki and Lacnetters,

Nikki rightly talks about the stress of crying on a baby's body...and of course that's in addition to the big stress on a mother and father.  Persistent crying leads to exhaustion, demoralization, breastfeeding failure (poor latch, production, letdown and undermining of confidence in herself and a loss of support of family members), and has been shown to be the #1 associated factor predisposing a parent to postpartum depression and shaken baby syndrome!

All of this is avoidable!  More than 95% of babies (in the first 4 months) can be calmed within minutes (usually seconds) by using the 5 S's and turning on their calming reflex.  It is a simple skill that ALL new parents should be taught and is supported by leaders of La Leche, Lamaze, AAP, AAFP, DONA, and even the former Surgeon General.

Best wishes,

Harvey Karp, MD
UCLA School of Medicine



From:    Nikki Lee <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: stress from crying

Dear Friends:
    The Ransjo-Arvidson study in Birth March 2001 showed that babies cried
the least when their mothers were unmedicated in labor; .... Gene Cranston Anderson talks about the damage that crying does to
the newborn physiology including increased intracranial pressure leading to
small hemorrhages in the brain circulation and keeping the foramen ovale open.

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