Supported by a summer research grant from the College of Health and Human Development, Fanton worked to expand upon Teti’s Project SIESTA (Study of Infants’ Emergent Sleep TrAjectories) by looking closer at infant sleep arrangements and mothers’ overall functioning, which included coparenting experiences, maternal depressive symptoms, and mothers’ sleep quality.
Specifically, Fanton examined families in the SIESTA sample when infants were one, three and six-months old.
Through video data, Fanton and Teti determined that mothers who appeared to cosleep with their infant by choice across the first six months were less likely to have positive co-parenting experiences, more likely to have negative co-parenting experiences, more likely to experience depressive symptoms, and more likely to have worse sleep quality compared to mothers who only roomshared to help a distressed infant sleep and mothers’ whose infants slept separately.
Fanton appreciates her opportunity to conduct research as an undergraduate student at Penn State.
Beyond the research lab, Fanton has served on committees for the Penn State Dance Marathon, is a member of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association, and is treasurer of the Penn State Twirling Club.
Majoring in communication sciences and disorders, Fanton plans to become a speech-language pathologist who works with elementary school students.