|
Q: The Happiest Baby technique seems to be much different from other baby soothing techniques that are around. What is so special about The Happiest Baby?
A: The Happiest Baby (THB) DVD and CD can help any parent become as skilled as the world's best baby calmer… and helps all babies sleep an extra 1-2 hours/night. It is revolutionary in 3 ways: 1) It teaches parents that the most important thing to understand about babies is that they are not fully ready for the world. In a way, they are born 3 months early and need a 4th trimester of holding, rocking and nurturing (this is not taught in any other parenting text and it is the "ah-ha!" moment that helps parents understand exactly what they need to do), 2) It teaches parent the extraordinary new discovery that all babies are born with a "calming reflex" – a virtual off switch for crying, 3) The Happiest Baby teaches parents exactly how to do five steps (the "5 S'S") that turn on the "calming reflex" (this is super important because reflexes completely don't work if they are not triggered correctly. For example, if you try to get a knee reflex by hitting the knee one inch too low – it may look right, but it will fail every time; similarly trying to turn on the "calming reflex" fails unless the "5 S'S" are done exactly right.
It is very important to review the materials, watch the DVD carefully and use the best white noise (like our Soothing Sleep Sound CD) to make sure you are doing everything right. These techniques can be subtle and only work when they are done correctly.
Once you learn this approach it will be obvious to you why THB has been translated into 19 languages and endorsed by experts from the former Surgeon General, leaders of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the founder of Lamaze, LLLI, etc.
Q: Is there any scientific documentation of the existence of "the calming reflex"?
A: Good question!
When you watch my DVD you will see baby after baby who’s crying is calmed in seconds when I do the "5 S'S". This is exactly what we see when a reflex is being turned on. Studies are now being done to develop even more documentation for this reflex. In fact, the Department of Health of Boulder Colorado just reported their experience teaching THB to much stressed, high risk families. They found that in 41/42 families THB immediately improved the parent’s ability to calm the baby’s fussing and infants immediately began sleeping an extra 1-3 hours/night.
"Dr. Karp's book is fascinating. It presents the top science about the development of babies in a style that is sensible and a pleasure to read. I believe it will reassure and guide new parents for many years to come."-Julius Richmond, MD, Professor of Health Policy, Harvard Medical School, founder Head Start, former Surgeon General of the United States.
Please visit our website www.thehappiestbaby.com for further information.
Q: Can swaddling the baby with arms down be harmful for the baby?
A: Absolutely not. In fact, swaddling with the arms down is the way babies are wrapped in many, many other cultures. The only recommendation for arms up swaddling is for preemies. This helps them be more alert and neurologically organized. However, this is not a concern for term babies who are being swaddled to improve sleep and to soothe crying.
Many Native American Tribes swaddled their babies with the arms down until ~6 months and they were well known to be brave and independent. The evidence of swaddling with arms down shows overwhelmingly that those babies have more relaxed heart rates and respirations, and that they sleep longer (yet they have more arouse-ability so they are less at risk for death - SIDS).
Swaddling coupled with the use of rough sounding white noise (about as loud as a shower) during sleep and fussy periods shows great promise for improving breast feeding success rates, promoting sleep and lowering the incidence of depression, marital stress, shaken baby syndrome, and even SIDS.
And it is particularly fun because dads who learn to do the "5 S'S" often become the best baby calmers in the family… so it is a great way to help dads and other care givers support the mom!
Q: Does swaddling prevent motor development?
A: No, swaddling does not prevent motor development. Babies are usually swaddled during the sleep period only i.e. night time or nap time. Most motor activity is taking place during the day when the baby is not swaddled.
Q: Does swaddling inhibit hip development?
A: No, it has been said that swaddling may hurt the hips of a baby… but that is not true as long as the baby is wrapped in a soft blanket and the hips are allowed to be slightly bent. Babies only have extra stress on their hips when they are wrapped and then tightly strapped onto a rigid board with the legs fully straightened.
Q: Some hospitals recommend that caregivers should avoid putting anything in the baby's crib, including blankets (the baby should have pajamas only). What is your answer to this?
A: The AAP does not recommend using bulky blankets but they clearly state they are OK with the use of thin blankets (they prefer the blanket tucked in, but do not recommend against swaddling). In fact, the Happiest Baby is explicitly recommended by the AAP in their new parent guide “Heading Home with Your Newborn" and a recent article in "Pediatrics" (the official medical journal of the AAP - OCT 2007) reported that swaddling clearly reduces the risk of SIDS (as long as the baby is not overheated, sleeping on the stomach or wrapped in bulky, loose blankets).
Snug swaddling may reduce this risk of SIDS for 4 reasons:
- Swaddling prolongs sleep, but it also makes babies sleep a little lighter (and a baby's responsiveness during sleep has been shown to lower the risk of SIDS). The reason for this increased arouse-ability is unknown (the constant touching of the skin by the blanket may act as a continuous stimulation - tactile "white noise"). (Gerard; Franco)
- Swaddling prevents rolling onto stomach - Babies who accidentally roll onto the stomach during sleep are at a dramatically increased risk of SIDS. This rolling is largely prevented by snug wrapping. (Oyen; Mitchel; Li)
- Swaddling prolongs sleep - many exhausted parents place their babies to sleep on their stomachs (even though they know they shouldn't) because their baby sleeps longer in that position. But, researchers have shown that swaddled babies sleep as well on their backs as un-swaddled babies sleep on their stomach. Hopefully, this will persuade some exhausted parents to stop their risky behavior. (Gerard; Franco)
- Swaddling can prevent many bed sharing risks - babies who bed share may suffocate if they move during the night and lodge their faces in pillows or wedge their heads between the mattress and the wall or headboard. Snug swaddling dramatically reduces a baby's mobility and can prevent these accidents.
Parents who swaddle should avoid four situations that might possibly increase a baby's risk of SIDS: 1) overheating - swaddled babies should be dressed lightly in warm weather and parents should be informed that babies with hot ears and sweaty necks should wear only a diaper when wrapped or not to be wrapped at all; 2) bulky blankets, thick blankets are a suffocation hazard; 3) loose sheets or thin blankets covering a baby's face; 4) sleeping on the stomach. Parents will be most successful if they snuggly swaddle their babies in a big, light blanket that is large enough to allow secure wrap all around the baby so it does not unravel during sleep.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Franco, P., et al. Increased cardiac autonomic responses to auditory challenges in swaddled infants. Sleep. 2004 Dec 15; 27(8):1527-32
Gerard CM, Harris KA, Thach BT. Spontaneous arousals in supine infants while swaddled and unswaddled during rapid eye movement and quiet sleep. Pediatrics. 2002; 110, e70
Gerard CM, Harris KA, Thach BT. Physiologic studies on swaddling: an ancient child care practice, which may promote the supine position for infant sleep. Journal of Pediatrics. 2002; 141:398-403.
Patricia Franco, MD, PhD*, et al. Influence of Swaddling on Sleep and Arousal Characteristics of Healthy Infants. Pediatrics. 2005; 115:1307-1311
Oyen N, Markestad T, Skjaerven R, et al. Combined effects of sleeping position and prenatal risk factors in sudden infant death syndrome: the Nordic Epidemiological SIDS Study. Pediatrics. 1997; 100:613-621
Mitchell EA, Thach BT, Thompson JM, Williams S. Changing infants's sleep position increases risk of sudden infant death syndrome. New Zealand Cot Death Study. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. 1999; 153: 1136 -1141
Li DK, Petitti DB, Willinger M, et al. Infant sleeping position and the risk of sudden infant death syndrome in California, 1997-2000. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2003;157:446 - 455
Patricia Franco, MD, PhD*, et al. Ambient temperature is associated with changes in infants' arousability from sleep. Sleep. 2001 May1; 24(3):325-9
Q: Can swinging aggravate baby's reflux?
A: Swinging is done in a semi upright position which lessens reflux. It also lessens reflux because it helps babies stop crying; crying causes babies to tighten their stomach muscles and reflux more.
The movement does not increase spitting up it actually allows a burp to jiggle out without pushing all the milk out.
Q: How can we wean our baby off the swaddling?
A: Weaning off swaddling usually happens after the fourth month. Some kids may be ready by that time, however, some benefit from an extra few months of swaddling. It really is an individual process. Your baby will know when he/she is ready.
It is very important to use white noise along with swaddling all night long from shortly after birth. Then when you want to wean the swaddling just keep the white noise playing. Usually by 4-6 months the baby is able to sleep well without the wrapping, and then the sound can be weaned in another 4-8 months (it can be weaned much sooner, but it is so helpful in preventing the sleep problems from teething, growth spurs and first colds that are so common around 6-9 months that most parents use it for the entire first year!) Many parents love our CD of white noise called The Super Soothing Sleep CD. CDs are great because they can be used in the car to prevent fussing or taken along with you when you visit grandma to help the baby sleep well in a new place.
For more detailed information on how to wean your baby off swaddling please read the step by step directions mentioned in the book The Happiest Baby on the Block in the chapter dedicated specifically to weaning off swaddling.
Q: The wrap we bought from your site worked great for the first 2 months, but recently our baby is starting to break loose. What can we do to make it work again?
A: Please make sure you are using white noise all night (this keeps babies more relaxed) and swaddling her snugly, with arms down so she can't pop out too easily (I recommend you review the swaddling demonstration on the DVD). If the blanket is too loose or too small it may actually make the baby fuss more which seems to be the problem in your case - the baby breaks out of the swaddle and wakes up.
Q: If we had to choose between buying your book or the DVD, which one would you recommend we choose? Which one has more information and is more helpful?
A: "The Happiest Baby on the Block" book is an in-depth elaboration on Dr. Karp's technique and as such it is very informational in nature. The DVD however, is a visual medium and is highly instructional. Most new moms and especially dads buy DVD first because they find this visual approach a much simpler and faster way to learn Dr. Karp's great techniques, and then read the book to learn more about the baby’s normal development and weaning the 5 S'S!
We find that parents do best when they are given a DVD to watch at home with their family which helps them practice when the baby is actually crying; and, the CD of white noise to use during fussy periods and sleep time. It is also good for enlisting help from grandma or grandpa or other members of the family who may not have the time to read a book.
Q: Will you have the Happiest Toddler DVD in Spanish any time soon?
A: The translation is under way and it should be available soon. Please watch our website for updates.
Q: Are your products available for purchase internationally?
A: Yes, we have distributors in the following countries:
AUSTRALIA
Gapfiller Pty Ltd.
13/25 Power Avenue
Alexandria NSW 2015
Contact: Dani Harpaz, Director
Licensed for: THB DVD, THB, VHS, Soothing Sounds CD
BRAZIL
Anasoft Editora e Distribuidora Ltda.
Rua Goitacazes
343 São Caetano do Sul-SP-Brazil 09510-300
Licensed for: THB DVD, THB VHS, THT DVD
JAPAN
Comtec Co. Ltd.
Boeki Building
Higa shi-machi 123-1
Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0031
JAPAN
Contact: Hiroshi Norioka, President and Representative Director
Licensed for: THB DVD, THB VHS, Soothing Sounds CD
SINGAPORE, HONG KONG, & MALAYSIA
Smart Baby
13 Telok Blangah Crescent, #05-340,
SINGAPORE (090013)
Contact: Ho Yew Kay
Licensed for: THB DVD, THB VHS, Soothing Sounds CD, THT DVD
SOUTH KOREA
Dawoori Entertainment Co., Ltd.
Sadle Building 2nd Floor
#64-13 Nonhyun-Dong,
Kangham-Ku, Seoul 135-010 KOREA
Contact: Hong John Won, President
Licensed for: THB DVD, THB VHS, Soothing Sounds CD, THT DVD, THT VHS
SPAIN
Essential Minds SL
Fructuous I Gelabert
2-4 puerta 4 piso 2
Sant Joan Despi 08970 Barcelona
Contact: Roser Pusol, Director
Licensed for: THB DVD, THB VHS, Soothing Sounds CD
TAIWAN
Well Go USA, Inc.
990 N. Bowser Road
Suite 700, Richardson TX 75081
Contact: Doris Pfardrecher, Vice President Int'l Distribution
Licensed for: THB DVD, THB VHS, THT DVD
UK & EIRE (ENGLAND, NORTHERN IRELAND, SCOTLAND, WALES) (No Signed Contract) Delta Music Plc.
222 Cray Avenue, Orpington, Kent BR5 3PZ
Contact: 01689 888 888
email: info@deltamusic.co.uk
Potentially Licensed for: THB DVD, THB VHS, Soothing Sounds CD, THT DVD
Q: Is Dr. Karp appearing publicly? Is he giving lectures?
A: For a complete list of Dr. Karp's public appearances, please check the "Appearances and News Clips" section at the following link: http://www.thehappiestbaby.com/clips.html .
Q: I ordered the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD from Amazon.com, but the audio track on The Happiest Baby DVD does not work on a CD player. How can I listen to it?
A: The DVD will only play on a DVD player and is intended for illustration purposes only. However, our CD of white noise sounds from the womb called, The Super Soother CD, can be played on a CD player. Apart from increasing your baby's sleep when used all night, this CD is also excellent for use in cars and during visits to grandma’s house!
Q: What region/format are your DVD's? Can they be played on any DVD player?
A: Both of our DVDs are encoded for all regions so they can be viewed around the globe.
|
