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tiny baby is only three weeks old. She is sleeping like an angel. Her parents
have given her a bath, fed her, and changed her diaper.
All of her needs have been met. Or have they?
Not just physical
It may surprise you to learn that, based on research, we now know that meeting a baby's need for sensitive, warm and dependable care is just as important as meeting his or her physical needs. This is true from
the earliest stages of development. Over the last 20 years we have learned a
great deal about adult mental health, but have often overlooked the mental health
of children, especially babies. In recent years, this trend has started to change.
Most parents know a lot about their baby's physical development: what he should
eat, how much she should sleep, and whether that rash is something to worry
about. While these questions are undeniably important, current research shows
that paying attention to a child's mental health needs is just as vital, to
ensure the child's healthy development.
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Insecure attachment
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Insecure attachment forms when parents do not consistently respond to the baby's
needs in ways that are warm, dependable, caring, and sensitive.
There are different
types of insecure attachment:
- avoidant,
- ambivalent (anxious, resistant), and
- disorganized (disoriented).
These types are not absolute categories - within each there is a range of both
parent and infant behaviours. For example, parental behaviours that indicate
unavailability, unresponsiveness, or rejection may be mild or extreme, and the
effect on the infant's behaviour varies accordingly.
The most problematic type
of insecure attachment - the "disorganized" type - can have serious consequences,
increasing the chances that emotional, social, and behavioural problems will
develop in infancy, childhood, and later in life.
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Infant attachment theory
Infant attachment theory has been around since the early 1950's and continues
to evolve through the work of researchers around the world. "Infant attachment"
refers to the deep emotional connection that an infant forms with her or his
main caregiver, usually the mother. Modern research has proven that our earliest
relationships and experiences of the world influence how the brain develops,
and help to shape our emotions, thinking, learning, and behaviour throughout
our lives.
The theory is based on the idea that a baby's main caregiver in the first year
of life becomes the infant's primary attachment figure - a protector and a secure
base from which he or she can explore the world. A new Health Canada resource,
First Connections…make all the difference has been developed
to raise public awareness about the critical importance of secure attachment,
setting the stage as it does for healthy physical, emotional and social development.
Secure attachment develops when parents are sensitive to their infant's
behaviour, and are affectionate and consistent in the way they respond to their
baby, especially when he or she is upset, sick, frightened, or hurt. It allows
an infant to explore his or her world and to know that if frightened or distressed,
she or he will be safe and comforted on return to the 'secure base' of the parent.
"Mental nutrition" for the baby
Most parents already have the right instincts about how to respond to their
child. Paying attention to some concrete guidelines on secure attachment can
help give parents the best possible foundation for their child's lifelong mental,
emotional and social well-being. By paying attention to the "mental nutrition"
of their child from the moment he or she is born, parents can help protect against
future mental health problems.
Mental milestones
The following chart highlights some of the most crucial stages in a baby's
mental development. Every step along the way is important for the developing
attachment relationship, but the following milestones are of particular importance,
because they mark significant changes in the way your baby experiences the world.
- Newborn - 2 months
Smile, laugh, sing, cuddle, hold and otherwise positively interact with your
newborn whenever possible.
The most important thing to remember is that you cannot "spoil"
a newborn baby with too much attention. Responding to your baby's crying immediately
will help your infant learn to trust you. Babies at this age do not cry in
order to make parents angry. Crying is a way of saying that he or she needs
something. Even after all of her obvious physical needs have been met (changing,
feeding, etc), if she is still crying, pick her up and snuggle with her as
soon as possible.
- 2 - 4 months
Babies like routines. Sticking to a regular routine makes your baby feel secure
and protected.
Try to keep bathing, feeding and diaper-changing times more or less the
same. Remember that around the time the child reaches four months of age,
whenever he looks or smiles at you he is seeking a response. The child is
also beginning to expect certain responses from his parents when he is unhappy.
These expectations are formed through daily experiences with parents, and
responding in a consistent way will lead the baby to associate you with feelings
of safety and security.
- 7 - 12 months
As your baby grows, it is important to engage her face-to-face, and follow
her lead when it comes to play.
As her first birthday approaches, try and understand what she is telling
you whenever she cries, smiles, or turns away. This helps her begin to develop
self-confidence. Around this age your child will prefer to be with the attachment
figure and will be upset by prolonged separation or unfamiliar faces.
- 12 - 18 Months
Parents should begin to recognize their new role as a "safe haven"
for their curious baby, a place he knows he can return for comfort if he becomes
frightened while exploring the world.
By the time a child reaches the age of one, he will have begun to crawl
and maybe to walk, and will want to explore the world around him. When attachment
is secure, the child will use the parent as both a starting point for investigation
and a home base for comfort, safety, and security.
- 24 - 48 Months
Between the ages of two and four, parents must strike a balance with their
children, allowing a certain degree of freedom, while remaining alert and
available to them.
At this age, children learn to be more accepting of separation. Your baby
is learning to balance her growing need for independence and exploration with
her ongoing need for love and protection.
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The tiny baby from the beginning of this article can sleep soundly. She has
parents who love her and on whom she can depend to respond sensitively and warmly
to all of her needs. And that means she already has the most important ingredients
for healthy development.
Just as the physical care her parents provide will help her body to grow strong
and healthy, her parents' love will be the foundation of her mental, emotional
and social well-being.
Attentive loving parents are the biggest factor in a child's mental health,
and following these guidelines will help ensure that their daughter has the
best possible start in life.
The First Connections…make all the difference resources
can be downloaded at http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/mh-sm/mhp-psm/pub/fc-pc/index.html or are available from Health Canada Publications,
0900C2, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9; Telephone: (613) 954 5995; Fax: (613) 941 5366;
or, e-mail: info@hc-sc.gc.ca.
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This article was prepared by Dan Barnes for the 
