JUST: ADD_WATER ONE ‘OF. the things that con- _stantly strikes me about this weird society we like to call “civilized” is how far we've moved away — in so many areas — from natural, instinctive human behavior. "This process of not listening to powerful, basic instincts starts carly, For.examplc, can there be anything more absurd and unnatur- “al than taking a newborn infant — -Who for nine months has received the reassuring, steady stimulation, “Another. pro- Liber al easterner * trives' here, gets ‘a job,-takes up ‘residence. in one of the strongest Reform Party communities, and then ‘proceeds: to Jambaste Doug ‘collins? views (which ‘are so obvi- of the womb's embrace — and putting thal tiny being alone ina massive crib, down a hallway in another room? How on earth did we reach a point where so many parents have fost. an understanding that a new- born belongs as close to it parent as possible? I say thank goodness for indi- viduals like James McKenna, @ pro- fessor of anthropology at Pomona College in Claremont, California, who is conducting a study on the importance of the carly connection between infant and parent (espe- cially the mother). As part of the study McKenna is examining the connection between isolation and SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). “Pm convinced that not only would we reduce SIDS, but we'd raise healthier, happier babies if moms just did one thing,” McKenna said. “Take their babies with them to bed for the first year, rather than isolate them in their own cribs,” Sleeping next to a parent helps regulate the baby’s physiology through the night. » Intests involving mothers and infants sleeping together, Mekenna confirmed that infants” breathing patterns, heart rates and sleep istaiges s fotlow those of its mother, " CAllins’ articles made both he and ° his wife feel “unwelcome.” Pity. | However, it doesn’t take too mich intelligence to'see that there is something decidedly wrong . with Ferris’ letter, or that there is much usly shared .by the’ majority of information missing —~_ which North Shore News readers). Peter: Ferris’ letter ‘(North Shore ews; Jan. 5) also states that one of ng our No such, a.success, rene, the, demands re work OS should not be the case as this letter. has all of the professionalism of your standard Ieft- “wing: Liberal let- --éxceeded the previous year ‘by 56%: _ in Vancouver; 2,958 worked for the te residential campaign, and ‘our sin- cere thanks BO: Out to every one of them. “ “Although: we’ ‘are : still awaiting the final accounting of the cam- paign, contributions to date total $460,000, an increase of 20% from : the 1992 campaign. “just: heard ‘about being able to ik to | my: compitier! Show mel.::"".““We need to “netivorkable - laser. What notebooks. “a ‘ We neéd new. work- : LM in upgrades, “Twant t Digital... ” r'486?... " 8 or 16 megs} salesmen ah presentations...” ’ “Wide area nenworking g... can it work for our @ : “Storage, | storage, Star-{ pre “It's also a case of stimulation, of learning the rhythms of life and interaction,” he said “Babies alone in cribs suffer sensory deprivation, We think this can fead to tack of crucial intellec- tual development — and possibly to conditions more conducive to the risk af SIDS." Statistics appear to back up McKenna's theories. While 1.5 babies out of every 1,000 live births in the United States die of SIDS, the number is only 0.3 per thousand in Hong Kong, where it's customary for babies to sleep with their mothers. Pakistan, Japan and Bangladesh also have low incidences of SIDS compared with so-called devcloped countries like the U.S., Canada, the U.LK., Australia and New Zealand. Quite apart from possible pre- vention of SIDS. physical contact and skin stimulation is siraply vital for a baby’s physical and psycho- logical development. “People don’t reatize the first communication if receives and the first language of its development is through the skin,” said anthropolo- gist Ashley Montague. ‘Though studies have proved it, everyone should know that touch- ing and massaging an infant has a deeply calming effect on a child, and the parent for that matter. ter of which we sce too many in the News these days. And it should go without saying that if Ferris and. his wife do not like the freedom of-speech that we intend to’ enjoy. here in B.C. reg yard. “less of. present governments,. well, there's always Winnipeg! Geoff Fenton © North Vancouver With the help of our volunteers, and the generous contributions made by the residents: of Greater Vancouver, the Canadian Dinbetes Association can continue the battle’ against a disease that affects the . lives of over one million Canadians, _ Bob Kelly, president Canadian Diabetes Association, C./Yukon Division ; “41:00am TO 9:00em Infant massage, which has been used far centurivs by people from cultures around the world, has enormous benefits, In studies invelving (wo groups of premature babies, it was shown that the babies who were nuissaged were ahead in both neurological development and weight gain. (If you want to read about the impor- lance of touch, | recommend (fant Massage by Vimala Schneider McClure.) Why have so many of us lost our instinct for something as basic asa physical bond with a child? For one thing, we've tossed away our gut feelings and common sense and adopted, uncritically, the advice of so-called experts. in the most per ular book on raising children of this century, Dr. Spock’ s Baby «and Child Care, par- ents are told, “Children can sleep in aroom by themselves from the time they are born, if convenient, as long as the parents are near enough to hear them when they cry.” I can find absolutely nothing in this book, which is supposed to be a comprehensive guide to child- care, on the critical importance of simply touching and holding a child. Dr. Spock also advises against letting a trightened child come into a parent's bed for comfort and reas- surance. “This seems like the most prac- tical thing to do at the time, but it usually turns out to be a mistake. Even if the child’s anxiety lessens during the following weeks, he is apt to cling to the security of bis parents’ bed. and there is the devil lo pay gelling him out again, “So always bring him promptly and matter-of-factly back to his own bed.” Having two preschoolers | find this allitude and approach to deal- ing witha frightened child almost unbelievable. it’s like saying: when achild is scured and wants you, whatever you do, don’t tet him g get, close te you! in contrast to Dr, Spock, another leading American pediatrician and: author, Dr. Robert Mendelsohn | (iow To Raise A Healthy Child.ctn Spite Of Your Doctor), advises: “Hf he cries at night because he is tones ly or afraid, take him into your 5 bed.” : We live in u society where, from birth, we begin the process of alien-: ating individuals, leaving them alone to fénd for themselves. We buy the best baby furniture we can find aid a sophisticated monitor to pickup the slightest whimper... when what we should really. do is throw out all the parapheniaiia and stort trusting our instincts. ine ‘American justice’ ‘ Dear Editor: of I was dismayed at the view- point in the -editori ial “American justice” (North, Shore News, . Dec. 31,1993). Of course, I sympathize with the Campbell family for their | _loss, as would anyone. & ‘However, your assumption that the ensiring trial was some “sort of miscarriage of justice because. an American was. acquitted in the death of a Canadian is precisely the sort of pandering, knee-jerk jingoism that we expect legitimate jour- nalists to be striving to rise above. I suggest you are largely: ignorant of the reasons for the court's decision in this case. Unless you ‘attended the pro- ceedings you are ill-advised in casting doubt on the findings in’ ai Case us serious as this one. “Far worse, ‘though: wis your- suggestion that an appeal’ of: an. acquittal,. possible here but.not-. cunder U.S. law, -is: somehow. an ineffable:Canadian benefit’; a the same time: ‘deprecating: “the litigious nature of Americaris”? {submit that a legal. system where, the state-has'the power'to” harass; persecute,.and indeed «- impoverish its se} lected victims ® ‘through, the medium of: ‘Tepeated » prosecutions. on the same charge’, brings the houndings' of Dr... Morgenthaler painfully to mind. This is not one of the bless: | ings of being Canadian that one.’ _ should cherish uncritically. : The lawyers would have us’ become’ as litigious as you: find the Americans — and-it seems: you are with them all the way. David Weiser . West Vancouver: COMPUTER COMMUNICATION: ° AND BUSINESS SHOW. 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