カリフォルニア大学ロスアンゼルス校医学部の助教授であり、小児科医でもあるカープが、泣いている小児を落ち着かせ、安心させるための、新しい方法を教える。世の中には、抱いてもらいミルクをもらえばそれで満足する赤ちゃんがいる反面、これといった理由がないのに何時間も泣き続ける赤ちゃんもいるようだ。こうした赤ちゃんたちは、カープが呼ぶところの「Fourth Trimester(4回目の3か月)」に悩まされている。ぷくぷくと柔らかな新生児を病院から連れて帰宅するとき、あなたにとって家は平和な育児の聖域かもしれない。ところが赤ちゃんにとっては、まるでラスベガスのカジノと暗い押入れが一緒になった、混乱した世界なのだ!
この本でカープは、5つのステップを通じて、子宮の環境を模すことをすすめる。そこには赤ちゃんのくるみ方、横向き/うつぶせの姿勢、「しーっ」という声、揺らし方、授乳などがカバーされており、赤ちゃんの適切なくるみ方、グラグラさせないやさしい揺らし方などを、詳しくアドバイスしてくれる。筆者によれば、このやり方に反応しない赤ちゃんはまずいないが、最も効果的なあやし方を見つけるには、多少の試行錯誤が必要だろうとのことだ。たとえば子どもに赤ちゃんの面倒をもっと見させる、赤ちゃんにおしゃぶりを使わせるなど、本書には他の育児専門家とは異なるやり方も多々見られる。しかし、赤ちゃんの絶え間ない泣き声に困り果てている親たちにとって、本書はこの上なく貴重であろう。出産を控えた親たちには、新生児を病院から連れてくる前に読んでみることをおすすめする。
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
In perhaps the most important parenting book of the decade, Dr. Harvey Karp reveals an extraordinary treasure sought by parents for centuries --an automatic “off-switch” for their baby’s crying.
No wonder pediatricians across the country are praising him and thousands of Los Angeles parents, from working moms to superstars like Madonna and Pierce Brosnan, have turned to him to learn the secrets for making babies happy.
Never again will parents have to stand by helpless and frazzled while their poor baby cries and cries. Dr. Karp has found there IS a remedy for colic. “I share with parents techniques known only to the most gifted baby soothers throughout history …and I explain exactly how they work.”
In a innovative and thought-provoking reevaluation of early infancy, Dr. Karp blends modern science and ancient wisdom to prove that newborns are not fully ready for the world when they are born. Through his research and experience, he has developed four basic principles that are crucial for understanding babies as well as improving their sleep and soothing their senses:
The Missing Fourth Trimester: as odd as it may sound, one of the main reasons babies cry is because they are born three months too soon.
The Calming Reflex: the automatic reset switch to stop crying of any baby in the first few months of life.
The 5 “S’s”: the simple steps (swaddling, side/stomach position, shushing, swinging and sucking) that trigger the calming reflex. For centuries, parents have tried these methods only to fail because, as with a knee reflex, the calming reflex only works when it is triggered in precisely the right way. Unlike other books that merely list these techniques Dr. Karp teaches parents exactly how to do them, to guide cranky infants to calm and easy babies to serenity in minutes…and help them sleep longer too.
The Cuddle Cure: the perfect mix the 5 “S’s” that can soothe even the most colicky of infants.
In the book, Dr. Karp also explains:
What is colic?
Why do most babies get much more upset in the evening?
How can a parent calm a baby--in mere minutes?
Can babies be spoiled?
When should a parent of a crying baby call the doctor?
How can a parent get their baby to sleep a few hours longer?
Even the most loving moms and dads sometimes feel pushed to the breaking point by their infant’s persistent cries. Coming to the rescue, however, Dr. Karp places in the hands of parents, grandparents, and all childcare givers the tools they need to be able to calm their babies almost as easily as…turning off a light.