Spirited or Calm: How Temperament Impacts Breastfeeding/Chestfeeding and Parenting

• Duration: 60 Mins
• Credits: 1 CERP, 1 L-CERP
• Learning Format: Webinar
• Handout: Yes

Abstract:

Knowledge about infant temperament has been known since the early 1960s with the release of the ground breaking research of Dr. Alexander Thomas, Stella Chess and Herbert Birch and yet, among the general public there seems to be a lack of information about this important body of science (temperament). When parents perceive their baby as content and seemingly non-demanding, they may be shocked and dismayed to find out during a routine well baby visit that the baby is underweight or is failing to thrive. They thought the baby was content because she didn’t give clear cues, and as a result, was underfed. In another scenario, when the baby is irritable despite frequent feeding mothers may lose confidence and question the quantity and quality of their milk and prematurely wean. The behavior of the intense baby that screams on the scale when weighed and is tortured by the bath is overwhelming and misunderstood. When behaviors are misread or inappropriately responded to, optimal physical and emotional development is potentially affected. This presentation will help the learner understand the classic nine temperament traits and how they are grouped into classifications. The listener will learn about the topic of “goodness of fit “and its impact on the long-term emotional health of the infant and developing child. Finally, with case study examples, the emphasis is on how temperament impacts breastfeeding/chestfeeding.

Learning Objectives: