Evolutionary Parenting Podcast Tracy Cassels, PhD

Normalizing breastfeeding is an ongoing battle in some Western cultures. Even when someone starts out breastfeeding, many report not being able to meet their goals or face various obstacles in trying to nurse their children. One part of the equation is how breastfeeding is represented in these cultures. Is it accessible through various media? How is it perceived? Joining me today to help answer this question - and discuss the implications of it - is Dr. BJ Woodstein, author of the book The Portrayal of Breastfeeding in Literature. Hopefully by understanding the power of how breastfeeding is portrayed, we can move towards creating a culture where breastfeeding families feel supported and seen.

Dr. BJ Woodstein: https://research-portal.uea.ac.uk/en/persons/bj-epstein
The Portrayal of Breastfeeding in Literature*: https://amzn.to/3kaUVYQ
We’re Here!: A Practical Guide to Becoming an LGBTQ+ Parent*: https://amzn.to/3YVhWhm

*Amazon affiliate link

Our understanding and acceptance of Autism has evolved over the years towards a greater awareness of what we call neurodiversity - broadly, the idea that each brain is unique and what used to be considered "disorders" are not at all, but rather reflections of these uniquenesses with their own strengths and weaknesses. At the same time, we have also learned how valuable early intervention is for longer-term outcomes. But how can this be? If we aren't "fixing" anything, why the need for this intervention? Joining me is Dr. Lauren Franz, the Associate Director of Duke University's Center for Autism and Brain Development, for what I hope you will find to be an enlightening and important conversation.

Dr. Franz: https://globalhealth.duke.edu/people/franz-lauren
Focus article: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2794074
Programs and articles discussed in the interview:
On Naturalistic Developmental Behavioural Interventions:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4513196/pdf/10803_2015_Article_2407.pdf
On Early Start Denver Model:
https://autismcenter.duke.edu/news/online-caregiver-coaching-modules-based-early-start-denver-model
Lancet Commission report: https://www.thelancet.com/commissions/autism
Open Access Book "Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement": https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-13-8437-0
Meta-Analysis of interventions: https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fbul0000215

As we know, sleep is one of the most talked-about topics for new parents. None of them are getting enough, and everyone is worried about it. In Western cultures, parents are often made to feel that the only way to get sleep is to leave their baby to cry to learn to sleep alone, something called 'crying it out'. This can be modified slightly where parents leave their child for intervals of time, often called 'controlled crying' or 'controlled comforting'. Importantly, the age at which we recommend this to families has gotten younger and younger over the years, and even who we recommend it to has changed. Whereas it was once recommended for families with severe problems, it's now recommended as a preemptive move parents should take to avoid problems. But what does the research say about these changes? Do they support the use of this type of sleep training? Joining me to discuss this is Macall Gordon, a researcher specializing in infant mental health who has reviewed the research in depth and is here to share these findings. Whether you're surprised or not, the findings are ones that should be more widely discussed for they have major implications for all families.

Thank you so much for listening, that's it for this week. I hope if you're one of those families who has felt pressure to sleep train but it isn't for you or you don't even feel there's a problem, you can feel better about saying no. And if you are struggling, I would add that there are other methods you can use that do not require you to leave your baby to cry and I would strongly recommend starting there, especially as we discussed here - often there are underlying issues that should be examined. Until next time, stay safe and happy parenting.

Macall Gordon, M.A.: https://www.antioch.edu/faculty/macall-gordon/
Relevant papers to the discussion:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352721822000778
https://connect.springerpub.com/content/sgrcl/13/2/65.abstract

If you are struggling with your child's sleep and want to find out if something may be underlying the problem, you can try the Brief Infant and Toddler Sleep Screen, something I devised to help families determine what - if anything - is affecting their child's sleep: https://evolutionaryparenting.com/test/bitss/

Bedtime. It's one of the biggest struggles parents face. Everyone is tired, we just want our kids to calm and go to sleep. But how does our bedtime affect their sleep? Often we hear that we need our kids to be independent at bedtime, do things on their own, that that will lead to a good sleep. The problem is that there hasn't really been any research on how these actions affect bedtime... until now. This week I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Lauren Philbrook who is with me to talk about her new research looking at the question of how parental presence and contact as well as calming activities at night influence children's stress levels and quality of sleep. If you've bought into the idea that parents need to separate themselves at bedtime, you might want to hear what Dr. Philbrook has to say.

Dr. Lauren Philbrook: https://www.colgate.edu/about/directory/lphilbrook
Research Articles of Interest
https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.22322:
https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001027
https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsz078
https://doi.org/0.1002/dev.21442

Raising good humans is hard. We all worry about if we're doing best and we don't always know how to do it. This is especially true when we start touching on topics we may not have experience with, like racism. Many of us may think that we can just try to raise kids who aren't racist and that will be enough. But it's not. We need to actively work to change the ingrained racism in our society and our children can lead the way if we help them get there. This is where help is needed and I was thrilled to be able to speak to educator and author Britt Hawthorne about her new book, "Raising Anti-Racist Children". She's the help we need to change the world one child at a time.

Britt Hawthorne: https://britthawthorne.com/
Speak Up from the Southern Poverty Law Center: https://www.splcenter.org/20150125/speak-responding-everyday-bigotry

External validity. It's a topic that many of us don't really talk about. It's the idea that certain research findings only apply to certain groups. In sleep training, most people assume the research is applicable to all families, but is this the case? This is the question that Dr. Levita D'Souza and I examine this week as we talk about the research that provides us information on who takes part and who doesn't, and what this means for our understanding of the research in broader terms.

Dr. Levita D'Souza: https://www.centreforperinatalpsychology.com.au/psychologists/levita-dsouza/
Relevant Research:
https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/43/4/zsz268/5611128?login=false
https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/130/4/643/30241/Five-Year-Follow-up-of-Harms-and-Benefits-of