Q: My baby girl is 9 months old and has this habit of refusal to sleep when she is somewhere outside. Whenever she is sleepy, she will cry non-stop. We tried carrying her, patting her to sleep but no use. We also tried putting her in the pram and closing the cover, but still she refuses. She has been like this since she was born. She can only sleep when she lies down on a mattress, carrying her bolster and with her thumb holding on to our fingers. Is there anyway I can let her sleep when we are out? I have seen many young infants who sleep soundly in the arms of their parents or the pram.

A:Your child’s refusal to sleep in parents’ arms or in the pram could be the result of a sense of insecurity. She is probably used to sleeping in a quiet place with no outside sounds. You can only take her out of this habit with a lot of patience and gradual efforts. Some introspection may help in understanding if she is getting enough time for bonding with the mother. At this stage of infancy, children are going through a phase of attachment formation and it is necessary to form a trusting relationship with the mother figure before the child can get over separation anxiety.