Sleep and cortisol function are two physiological self-regulatory processes that codevelop during infancy. Dysregulation of each system is linked to enduring health problems, so it is critical to understand factors contributing to the development of physiological self-regulation. However, it is not clear how infant sleep and cortisol interact with each other or with the parenting context. This project examined (1) the interplay of infant sleep and cortisol; (2) how cortisol interacts with parent characteristics in relation to infant sleep; and (3) whether consistent parenting buffers infant cortisol dysregulation. Study 1 (86 parent-infant dyads) investigated whether average nighttime sleep onset and duration predicted cumulative cortisol exposure, indexed by hair cortisol concentration (HCC). As hypothesized, infants who fell asleep earlier at night had lower HCC regardless of their family income and household chaos. Additionally, I expected that sleep characteristics on one night would predict total salivary cortisol exposure (AUCg) the next day, and that salivary cortisol at bedtime would predict sleep the same night. Partially supporting expectations, time-based analyses revealed that infants with lower cortisol on a particular evening fell asleep earlier the same night. In Study 2 (84 parent-infant dyads), I hypothesized that the link between parent characteristics (i.e., bedtime parental involvement and parental sensitivity) and infant sleep would differ by AUCg. Falling asleep independently predicted earlier sleep onset only for infants with dysregulated cortisol, whereas bedtime parental involvement did not predict sleep for infants with well-regulated cortisol. Infants with emotionally warm and appropriately responsive parents fell asleep earlier at night only if their cortisol was well-regulated. Utilizing archival data of 82 mother-infant dyads, Study 3 assessed consistency in parenting behaviors (i.e., smiles and laughter, and positive vocalizations), cortisol, and socioeconomic status (SES). As hypothesized, higher-SES infants experienced consistency, whereas lower-SES infants experienced inconsistency, in maternal smiles and laughter across 6 to 12 months of infancy. Contrary to expectations, inconsistent parenting did not predict cortisol. Findings highlight the intricate relation between two vital physiological processes codeveloping in the first year of life – sleep and cortisol regulation – and the role cortisol plays in moderating how parenting characteristics contribute to infant sleep.

Objectives: To assess the use of the “Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals” standards in practice and academic work settings by public health nurses (PHNs), and to determine differences between practitioners and faculty. Design: Nonexperimental, descriptive study using a cross‐sectional survey. Sample: Three public health nursing (PHN) organizations sent invitations to all members. A total of 334 (18.7%) from an estimated 1,786 members completed the survey. Measurements: The investigators developed a 17‐item web‐based survey with open‐ and closed‐ended responses, using Rogers' diffusion of innovations as a theoretical framework. Results: Respondents are equally familiar with the competencies for public health professionals disseminated by the Council on Linkages and for PHNs by the Quad Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations (Quad Council). Two thirds of PHNs are aware of the competencies after only 2 years, primarily from professional PHN organizations. Faculty are adopting and using the competencies at a significantly faster rate than practitioners. Conclusions: Faculty and practitioners who use the competencies value them, and rarely discontinued their use after adoption. Efforts to promote diffusion among faculty and especially practitioners need to continue. Professional organizations can actively provide and share examples of useable formats and best practices associated with the competencies.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to compare the relative influence of the socioeconomic status of both mothers and fathers on feeding method and cosleeping. METHODS: The time and method of feeding and sleeping were recorded in a log during the 4th-week postpartum and analyzed according to the parental Hollingshead Index of Social Position in 33 families with their first newborn. RESULTS: The effect of socioeconomic status on feeding and sleep was parent specific. Low socioeconomic status of the mother, but not the father, was associated with cosleeping (t ≤ 2.39, P < .01); whereas, a low socioeconomic status of the father, but not the mother, was associated with bottle-feeding rather than breast-feeding (t ≤ 1.94, P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic status of the parents differentially affects neonatal care. Programs to increase breast-feeding rates would be most effective if designed for and aimed at the fathers. Copyright © 2007 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.