Comments on: Cultures Without Colic: Breastfeeding & Other Baby Lessons from the !Kung San

By: Dr_Karp

Dr_Karp — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:41:48 +0000

Yes…slings are a great way to give your baby the comforting closeness they love..and letting you have your hands free to do your chores…just be careful to keep your baby away from hot things in the kitchen!

By: Dr_Karp

Dr_Karp — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 03:04:13 +0000

Hi Nesta, I think you will like- Konner, M, Hunter-Gatherer Infancy: The !Kung and others. In Hewlett BS and Lamb ME, eds. Hunter-Gatherer Childhoods: Evolution, development and cultural perspectives. p19-64, Aldine Transactions 2005 Have fun! Dr. Karp

By: Nesta

Nesta — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 20:51:55 +0000

Hello..I’m very interested in reading the actual studies on the !Kung tribes care of babies. Would you mind citing this source so I could dig a little deeper? And any other field studies on indigenous baby care that you recommend?

Thanks!

By: Dr_Karp

Dr_Karp — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 04:05:46 +0000

Hi Laura,

Thanks so much for sharing your story with everyone! Many colicky babies grow up to be super-sensitive, or super-spirited (or both!!). I find the best ways to help sleep for a 4 year old are: 1) 60 minutes before bedtime, turn down lights 50%, turn off TV/computer, turn on white noise CD (track 6) played softly; 2) use CD all night/naps as loud as a shower; 3) encourage a lovey (blankie, favorite toy – even a hard toy works sometimes, special sheets, etc)
Good luck!
Dr. Karp

By: Dr_Karp

Dr_Karp — Tue, 24 May 2011 03:24:46 +0000

interesting…thanks for sharing!

By: Michelle

Michelle — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:43:02 +0000

When I was studying in Ghana, West Africa I noticed some similarities to what this article points out. First, I rarely heard a baby cry. I attributed this to the fact that babies are “worn” so much–either by the parent or a sibling or another relative. When I returned to the United States, I actually found it so strange that babies were carried in these huge car seats and were so far away from their parents’ bodies.

Also helpful for new mothers was the fact that so many people live with extended families. These helped the mom with baby care and daily activities such as meal prep and laundry. Here we are in the West trying to “to it all ourselves!” No wonder we have such a high rate of post partum depression.

By: Dad 3 times

Dad 3 times — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:34:53 +0000

My wife and I have raised 3 children in the U.S. using exactly these techniques. I call it “Gorilla Parenting” because baby gorillas spend their entire first year of life hanging on to, held by or within arms-length of a parent. We are now co-sleeping with our 6 month old boy and have two older girls who were raised as infants the same way. He breast fed frequently and on demand as an infant is now breast feeding only at night. Life is good, baby and Mom are happy and everyone is sleeping through the night.

By: Deborah

Deborah — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 23:46:50 +0000

I know that some people believe its possible to spoil newborns by giving them too much attention, but I just don’t see how this can be possible! Like you said in your book, our babies are born more like fetuses and need to be nurtured through their “fourth trimester”. This is where the swaddling technique makes so much sense, and has helped so many parents avoid the dreaded colic. Looking to the example of some tribal cultures, where colicky babies rarer, seems pretty spot on to me!