The PedsDocTalk Podcast: Child Health, Development & Parenting—From a Pediatrician Mom

Cry Babies: Cortisol Research and Secure Attachment

Jun 17, 2020

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The world of parenting is very divided. Especially when it comes to sleep-training. There is a whole lot of judgement, when in the end a parent needs to choose what is best for them.

The reason why sleep-training is so confusing is that there truly is no right or wrong, contrary to what you may be told on social media. You can choose to sleep train or not. You can choose a cry-it-out method or not.

Every baby is different and may require a unique method. Every parent is different and they may be comfortable with one method or another.

The choice is truly up to the parent.

You can raise securely attached children in whatever method you choose.

On this episode, I welcome Dr. Brie Reid. She has a PhD in Developmental Psychology and studies stress and malnutrition in early childhood development.

We have a fascinating discussion about early childhood stress and cortisol research in children.

Research that has unfortunately been taken and misconstrued to say that infants/children should never cry in order for them to have secure attachment.

Research that has been misconstrued to say that any stress a child feels in infancy and childhood is not good for them, when in fact not all stress is detrimental.

Listen in as we discuss the impact this misconception can have on parenting including on maternal mental health, what exactly is considered toxic stress in childhood, and the importance in understanding that secure attachment can be obtained in many different parenting styles.

This episode is an important segway for the other sleep episodes as I discuss MANY methods of sleep training, including ones that involve more crying than others.

This episode is not encouraging everyone to choose a cry-method of sleep-training because cry-methods don't work for every child and every parent. This is just to reassure those that do choose one that based on the evidence and our experience, there is no issue with choosing a cry-method of sleep training.

We all need to stop judging one-another for these choices.

Parenting is NOT a one-size-fits-all approach