James McKenna
Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Professor of Anthropology
Office: 624 Flanner
Phone: 574-631-3816
Email: McKenna.25@nd.edu
Areas of Expertise
Infant co-sleeping, breast-feeding, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), evolution of human behavior, evolutionary medicine, human parenting and infancy
A world-renowned expert on infant sleep – in particular the practice of bed sharing or “co-sleeping,” especially in relation to breastfeeding, McKenna is a widely quoted authority on this frequently debated parenting issue. As director of Notre Dame’s Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory, he is known for conducting the first ever physiological and behavioral studies of the differences between solitary and co-sleeping mother-infant pairs. McKenna is a strong proponent of co-sleeping and focuses his research specifically on the relationship between sleeping arrangements, feeding method and risk factors for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The author of “Sleeping With Baby: A Parent’s Guide to Co-sleeping," McKenna also has published more than 130 refereed articles in medical, anthropology and psychology journals and completed two monographs on SIDS and infant sleep.
ND NEWSWIRE ARTICLES
McKenna, Aprahamian named AAAS fellows
Anthropologist recognized by national association
Infant co-sleeping expert James McKenna authors new book
Infant co-sleeping expert sheds light on controversial practice
IN THE NEWS
Rise in Infant Suffocations Renews Debate On Bed-Sharing (Washington Post, 1/26/09)
