PEDIATRICS Vol. 4 No. 1 July 1949, pp. 89-93
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CHRONIC RESISTANCE TO SLEEP IN INFANCY

BENJAMIN SPOCK M.D.1

1 The Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Mayo Clinic, and the Rochester Child Health Institute, Rochester, Minn.

TWENTIETH century America has no stable tradition about how children should be reared. In fact, it has a tradition against traditions. Parents in a quandary do not ask themselves what their own parents or grandparents would have done under the circumstances. They ask what is the latest theory. Twenty years ago, strictness and regulation were the psychologic and pediatric laws of the land. Now we are in the midst of a strong, even violent, swing in the opposite direction. The first impetus came from psychiatrists and educators who had observed the unfortunate effects on at least some individuals, both children and parents, of extreme rigidity in upbringing. Pediatricians began to experiment with new approaches. The so-called self-demand method of feeding, which seemed anarchistic when it was first reported only a few years ago, is now becoming the normal procedure in various parts of the country. There is a tendency to postpone weaning and toilet training and to inaugurate them with regard for the baby's readiness. It no longer takes courage for a physician or psychologist to advocate cuddling.

We seem to be moving in the right direction; a more friendly attitude toward babies, a more natural, relaxed regimen for their care, a respect for their individual needs and developmental levels is good for both them and their parents. But this swift transition is not without its difficulties. The same unstable responsiveness to a new theory, which 25 years ago made some people so enthusiastic for regulation, is today making the corresponding minority totally and uncritically devoted to self-regulation and self-expression.




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