Responds to William Sears's article: "Attachment Parenting: A Style That Works" (PS 523 690). Claims that there are alternatives to "attachment parenting" based on the Montessori philosophy, pointing out that Sears's suggestion of sleeping with the baby and carrying the baby in a sling may easily become obstacles in the path of…

Examines the nature of mother-child bonding from the prenatal stage through early infancy, discussing how the mother's actions, even before birth, stimulate her child's senses. Explains the crucial role that physical contact, breastfeeding, and visual stimuli have on mother-child bonding in human and animal newborns. (MDM)