Effects of physical contact on infants and caregivers
Guest Editors:
Ann Bigelow, St. Francis Xavier University
Lela Williams, Arizona State University
The goal of this special issue is to increase attention to physical contact between infants and their caregivers. Historically, infants were cared for in close physically proximity to others. However, modern means of infant care, such as formula feeding, institutional medical practices, and baby gear that limits contact with caregivers, as well as restricted maternal leave policies, have reduced the physical closeness of parents and infants. What is the cost to infant development and parental well-being? Welcomed submissions include, but are not limited to, studies of mother-infant skin-to-skin contact, baby carrying, and investigations of physiological and hormonal mechanisms of how physical contact affects infants and their caregivers. This Special Issue will highlight the growing research interest in the effect of physical contact for infants’ development. It will also foster cross-fertilization among different domains in which physical contact with infants is explored.
Important Dates
Interested authors should submit an abstract (500 words) to Lela Williams by November 15, 2018, that describes the proposed content of the manuscript and tentative title. From the abstract, articles will be selected for full submission. By mid-December, 2018, authors will be notified whether their abstracts have been accepted. Full submissions will be due March 15, 2019. Full submissions deemed suitable will be sent for peer review to be reviewed by at least two independent reviewers. Once a manuscript is accepted, it will go into production and simultaneously the article will be published in the current regular issue and pulled into the online Special Issue. Articles from this Special Issue will appear in different regular issues of the journal, though they will be clearly marked and branded as Special Issue articles.
Inquiries, including questions about appropriate topics, may be sent electronically to the Guest Editors, Ann Bigelow and Lela Williams.
Submission instructions
Full manuscripts will go through full peer review in accordance with the journal policies.
Full length article submission site
Please ensure you read the Guide for Authors before writing your manuscript.