Book forum

• Published in: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Vol. 60; no. 2; pp. 307 - 309
• Main Authors: Sipsock, Danielle, Krcmarik, Kelly
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Baltimore Elsevier BV 01.02.2021
• Subjects: Aggressive behavior; Attachment; Breastfeeding & lactation; Caregivers; Child & adolescent psychiatry; Child development; Child Health; Children & youth; Childrens health; Cognitive ability; Cognitive functioning; Day care; Daycare; Emotional behavior; Emotional disturbances; Externalizing problems; Full time; Human development; Maternity & paternity leaves; Mothers; Older children; Parents & parenting; Postpartum depression; Quality of care; Young Children
• ISSN: 0890-8567; 1527-5418
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2020.12.023

To demonstrate an example, about daycare she writes:“We know from Jay Belsky’s extensive research that children who are in nonmaternal care or who are away from their primary caregiver and are put into daycare early (under the age of one), who spend extensive time (full or near full time) in daycare, and who are in daycare consistently until the start of preschool at age three are at higher risk of aggressive behavior and emotional problems” (p 59–60). Komisar presents this information as fact, rather than isolated findings from an observational study, and fails to report the comprehensive take-away from this research by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Belsky, the study’s author, states that core findings from this research highlight “positive effects of good quality care on cognitive-linguistic-academic functioning” and that both the “somewhat” elevated externalizing problems and enhanced cognitive functioning associated with daycare likely dissipate as children grow older.1 Belsky also discusses the controversial nature of these studies owing to possible flaws in design and data interpretation, all of which Komisar fails to include in her description of the literature.