56 INFANT CARE-CACHE OR CARRY?

Abstract

To test the hypothesis that a single infant care pattern pre-vailed during human evolution, contemporary hunter-gatherers(H&G) were examined. Since hunting and gathering in the tropics sustained humans for more than 99% of the species' history, the few surviving groups provide the best available indication of the care to which the human infant was adapted. All tropical H&G (n=10) in Murdock & White's Standard Cross-Cultural Sample of linguistically, historically and geographically representative societies were analyzed. Numerically coded measures of infant care from Barry & Paxson's Cross-Cultural Codes revealed a consistent pattern. Among H&G (all or with a single exception), mothers were the principal caregivers, slept in the same room or bed as the infant and breastfed for 2 years or longer. Infants were held or carried most of the day in close body contact and had complete freedom of movement when not held. Care was consistently affectionate with immediate nurturant response to crying. Nonetheless, in most groups, children achieved early independence and by 2-4 years spent more than half time away from the mother. In the U.S. this pattern of carrying that endured for 1-3 million years has been replaced by one resembling nesting or caching. Infants spend little time in body contact with caregivers and their movements are restricted by playpens, highchairs or cribs. Of the minority who are breastfed, half are weaned within a few weeks. Separate sleeping arrangements and delayed response to crying are regularly recommended. These recent remarkable transformations may alter infant development and maternal involvement.

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