THUNAIEarly experience…shapes the baby’s brain…affecting lifelong behaviour, health and learning ( J Clinton et al. 2016)
What is Infant Mental Health?
When someone mentions Infant Mental Health, most of us are surprised. What would a baby know, other than to eat, sleep, cry and play? The baby doesn't understand stress and anxiety/ depression like us adults, right?.
According to recent research, influences on mental health start in pregnancy, before a child is born. They continue in early childhood and go through to adolescence and adulthood.
Infant mental health refers to the infant’s ability to:
- experience, express and manage emotions (a crucial life skill later on);
- form close and secure relationships with parents and caregivers: and
- explore their environment and learn about the world.
This is thought to be a function of the child’s temperament and the attachment the infant has with its primary caregiver. We had examined this in our October 2021 newsletter.
Signs and Consequences
An Infant or a young child is very vulnerable to early experiences and external circumstances. Their brain is rapidly developing and they don't have the internal coping mechanisms yet.
When parental care is compromised due to issues such as maternal depression, poverty, domestic violence or marital discord, the infant’s development can be impacted. This can affect brain development and subsequent mental well-being. This can show up later as learning difficulties, behaviour problems, poor social skills or even mental health issues.
It is important that we monitor an infant’s mental health status, know what influences it (though some underlying issues may be difficult to resolve), and understand the warning signs that the child might be struggling in some way.
Many of our family doctors and pediatricians are good at this!
What are the factors influencing Infant Mental Health and the Benefits:
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