Are we creating our own crying babies?
Does your child regularly cry for three hours or more a day, and are you at your wit's end? Rocking, reading, singing, walking, picking up, and comforting... sometimes nothing seems to help. Yet, according to developmental psychologist Annemie Ploeger, the cause lies with ourselves. She explains children's issues from an evolutionary perspective and suggests that we create our own crying babies. How this works, you can read here.
Annemie Ploeger, an evolutionary developmental psychologist at the University of Amsterdam, is herself a mother of two daughters. During her first pregnancy, she discovered how many questions she still had—despite her experience as a developmental psychologist: is an infant better off with a separate nursery? Can we extend the age at which we have children without consequences? Ploeger conducted research and recently published the book "The Evolution of a Child," in which she describes the peculiarities and benefits of the developmental phases of a child, from conception to adulthood.
How do we explain crying babies from an evolutionary perspective?
An important topic discussed in the book is the crying baby. In fact, our brain has not changed in the past 100,000 years. Therefore, many things can be explained from evolution, such as why we sometimes cannot get our babies to stop crying. Ploeger says in the Volkskrant: "I have become convinced that we create crying babies with separate beds in separate rooms. The baby feels unsafe on its own, even though we no longer live on a savanna where an infant is an easy prey. The baby's brain reacts as if that risk still exists: and so the child starts to scream."
The kangaroo method helps
This does not apply to all babies, of course, but in societies where children are carried a lot, they know fewer crying babies according to the psychologist. She cites an example from Colombia in the 1990s when there was a significant shortage of incubators. Mothers with premature babies were advised to keep their children warm themselves by carrying the little ones close to their bodies with a sling. Ploeger: "The children who were treated with this 'kangaroo method' turned out to be much better off both physically and psychologically years later than the incubator children."
What can you do yourself?
According to the psychologist, it is important to keep your baby close to you. This does not mean you have to sleep in the same bed, a crib in your bedroom also helps. Ploeger: "For social-emotional development, that proximity is very important. Research on co-sleeping was recently compiled, and from that overview, it appeared that co-sleeping leads to fewer crying babies, less sudden infant death syndrome, and more well-being in the long term." Want to learn more about a safe and healthy start for your newborn baby? Read here all about the latest course and sign up.
The theories are not undisputed. Hypotheses of evolutionary psychologists are difficult to prove. Not for nothing is this branch of science—looking at evolution—often under fire. The book covers many more theories. Are you curious? Here you can read more.
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