Comfort the Kid!: Infant Sleep, Parent-Infant Bonding and the Perils of "Cry it Out"

Comfort the Kid! is comprehensive description of infant sleep and the value of nocturnal parental interaction during the first year of life. Topics covered include a discussion of sleep from a biological, evolutionary, developmental, and cross-cultural perspective to bring to light the rationale governing infant and parental behavior and conflicts surrounding sleep. Comfort the Kid! strongly makes the case for comforting a crying infant ("Comfort the Kid") rather than letting the child cry until s/he falls asleep ("Cry It Out"). An extensive review of the medical literature is presented in an entertaining manner to demystify the struggle that frequently arises when a newborn is introduced into a family. The key audience is composed of expectant parents, new parents (who are looking for advice or struggling with their infant's sleep), and other interested parties, such as friends, and grandparents. The authors are physicians but have written the book in language intended to be accessible to an educated layperson. Comfort the Kid! explains why night awakening interactions with your infant are not drudgery, but rather wonderful and important opportunities that facilitate infant development and bonding.