Goals and Philosophy of the program:
The Happiest baby approach finally explains what is colic and more importantly teaches parents how to calm down almost any crying baby in minutes...or seconds (by turning on the "calming reflex"). The calming reflex also helps babies sleep an extra 1-2 hours/night too! This is NOT sleep training.
Our goals for the program are:
1. Improve parental bonding (including with teens moms....Dr. Karp's work is being used in several teen classes across the country)
2. Improve father participation (The Happiest Baby is being incorporated by Nat Fatherhood Forum and the Boot Camp for New Dads program)
3. Improve nursing success rates (The 5 S's are being taught in lactation clinics all across the country (including every WIC lactation clinic in Ohio)...the dvd is promoted by LLLI...and he has been invited to speak to the annual conferences of LLLI, Academy of Breast Feeding Medicine! To be sure, the 5 S's will save many woman from nursing failure because crying babies lead to : 1) poor let down, 2) stress and fatigue that in turn cause poor milk production, 3) moms lose confidence in themselves and worry that their milk is not good or there is a food allergy and go on severe diets or stop nursing altogether, 4) moms sometimes come to resent nursing when the only way they have to calm the baby is the breast, 5) crying often leads the Dads and in-laws to pressure the Mom to stop nursing.)
4.Help prevent PP depression (research shows that while hormonal changes "load the gun" for depression in new Moms, infant crying "pulls the trigger!" So, teaching parents baby calming skills may help to lessen PPD.)
5.Help prevent shaken baby syndrome (infant crying is the precipitator of 95% of episodes of infant shaking...teaching baby calming skills has the potential of preventing some of the 1400 SBS relatedhospitalizations/year in the US).
As a way to encourage the correct usage of the 5 S's, Dr.Karp created the education program to certify educators in teaching baby calming. This year, in collaboration with Prevent Child Abuse America, he is also presenting seminars in 8 states to infant care workers (including many LCs). By the end of 2005, there will be approximately 400 certified educators teaching baby calming classes across the country. Our hope is to have educators in all communities in North America by the end of 2008. The two skills ALL new Moms & Dads need to learn to feel like great parents are nursing or feeding successfully...and baby calming. If they are good at those 2 skills they feel like the greatest successes in the world!
Thank you Harvey for your insight and thank you educators for giving new parents the "tools" they need to succeed.
