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Parental use of ‘cry it out’ in infants : no adverse effects on attachment and behavioural development at 18 months
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Bilgin, Ayten and Wolke, Dieter (2020) Parental use of ‘cry it out’ in infants : no adverse effects on attachment and behavioural development at 18 months. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 61 (11). pp. 1184-1193. doi:10.1111/jcpp.13223 ISSN 0021-9630.
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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13223
Abstract
Background
Leaving infant to cry it out has been the subject of discussion among researchers and parents. Nevertheless, there is paucity of empirical research investigating the association between leaving infant to cry it out and consequent crying duration and frequency, mother–infant attachment and behavioural development.
Methods
The sample with complete longitudinal data comprised 178 infants and their caretakers. Parental use of ‘leaving infant to cry out’ and cry duration were assessed with maternal report at term, 3, 6 and 18 months, and frequency of crying was assessed at term, 3 and 18 months of age. Attachment was measured at 18 months using the strange situation procedure. Behavioural development of the infant was assessed with two observational measures and a parent‐report questionnaire at 18 months.
Results
The use of ‘leaving infant to crying’ was rare at term and increased over the next 18 months. ‘Leaving infants to cry it out’ at term was associated with a decrease in crying frequency at 3 months. Furthermore, leaving infants to cry it out a few times at term and often at 3 months was associated with shorter fuss/cry duration at 18 months of age. No adverse impacts of leaving infants to cry it out in the first 6 months on infant–mother attachment and behavioural development at 18 months were found.
Conclusions
Contemporary practice of some parents in the United Kingdom to occasionally or often ‘leaving infant to cry it out’ during the first 6 months was not associated with adverse behavioural development and attachment at 18 months. Increased use of ‘leaving to cry it out’ with age may indicate differential responding by parents related to infant self‐regulation.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||||
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Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics |
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Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences > Mental Health and Wellbeing Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Psychology Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School |
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Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Crying in infants, Distress in infants , Infant psychology, Interpersonal communication in infants, Mother and infant , Attachment behavior in infants | ||||||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry | ||||||||
Publisher: | Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. | ||||||||
ISSN: | 0021-9630 | ||||||||
Official Date: | November 2020 | ||||||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | 61 | ||||||||
Number: | 11 | ||||||||
Page Range: | pp. 1184-1193 | ||||||||
DOI: | 10.1111/jcpp.13223 | ||||||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||||||
Reuse Statement (publisher, data, author rights): | "This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Bilgin, A. and Wolke, D. (2020), Parental use of ‘cry it out’ in infants: no adverse effects on attachment and behavioural development at 18 months. J Child Psychol Psychiatr, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13223. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions." | ||||||||
Access rights to Published version: | Open Access (Creative Commons) | ||||||||
Description: | Free access |
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Date of first compliant deposit: | 19 March 2020 | ||||||||
Date of first compliant Open Access: | 10 March 2021 | ||||||||
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant: |
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