New Study: Infant Overnights Can Be Harmful

A new study by researchers at the Mills College and the Early Childhood Mental Health Program confirms that overnight visitation away from the primary caregiver can have harmful effects on infants. The study found that two-thirds of infants who lived with one parent and had overnight visits with the other had "disorganized attachments" with both parents.

The formation of secure attachments to parents or other caregivers is important to children's healthy development. The children with disorganized attachments in the study "could not cope with separations and reunions with the parent in the lab setting, and did not trust their parents as a resource to handle stress."

Parents and courts should take these findings seriously. Suggested solutions include (1) replacing overnight visits with increased daytime contact, (2) trial overnights to see how well the child adjusts, and (3) waiting until the child is older before introducing overnight visits.