Blame the Baby or Blame the Experts

This article talks about child brain development. The article mentions a study that said babies who die of sudden infant death syndrome have fewer serotonin receptors in the brain stem, and says that babies are born with this deficiency. The article argues this, however, saying that an under-developed brain may be because of early life care. One thing that can cause lower serotonin receptors is feeding a baby formula instead of breast milk, because breast milk has higher levels of tryptophan, which is an amino acid that builds serotonin receptors. The article also says that physical contact is important to build serotonin receptors. A baby needs to be held all the time, and if they aren't, they stop growing. So neglecting a baby by not holding it and physically interacting with it could cause a serotonin deficiency which could lead to sudden infant death syndrome. This information is very similar to what we discussed in last week's class. We learned that neglecting a child could lead to developmental problems, and that not being touched within the first few days of birth could cause death or permanent damage to a child. The article also mentioned safe co-sleeping as a way to help children develop. I know we talked in class about co-sleeping, and how it can be dangerous, but the article does not describe what safe co-sleeping is, maybe people have figured out ways to eliminate the risks of co-sleeping.