Information on Infant Mental Health

People don't always think about infant mental health, but it is a key issue in child development. Even before children are old enough to walk or talk, their mental health is still a concern. Children develop a sense of mental health through their attachments to their caregivers. Unhealthy caregiver bonds threaten the fragile developing infant psyche.

What is Infant Mental Health?

• Infant mental health is the first measure of a person's relationships to others. It includes social skills as well as emotional capacities. Although the term "infant" is used, it actually refers to all children from birth to age 5. Infant mental health is based on the relationship between the child and primary caregiver, usually the mother, and measures the fit between the caregiver's abilities and the infant's needs.

Why is Infant Mental Health Important?

• Infant mental health is crucial because it sets the ground work for how the child will be able to relate to others throughout life. The first relationships in an infant's life create expectations of how others will treat them. It is also in these early years that children develop a sense of self-worth and self-confidence. A failure to develop appropriate bonds in the early years means that children will likely face social problems as they get older.

How Good Infant Mental Health is Created

• Good infant mental health is created by a secure attachment with the primary caregiver. When the primary caregiver is attentive and expresses interest in the child, the infant will feel securely bonded. If the caregiver is depressed or overwhelmed, offering support to the caregiver is likely to result in better care provided to the infant as well.

Signs of Poor Infant Mental Health

• Poor infant mental health is most likely to develop when the primary caregiver is depressed, addicted to drugs or alcohol or dealing with other siblings with serious disabilities. Infants with poor attachments may reject being held, be very difficult to soothe when upset, show extreme fear and not turn to familiar adults for help. Preschool age children with poor mental health may also seem withdrawn, have inappropriate reactions to situations and show difficulty playing with objects or other people.

How to Improve Infant Mental Health Problems

• Because many issues of poor infant attachment stem from having a depressed or overwhelmed caregiver, providing assistance and support to the caregiver can result in better care for the infant. Intervention by pediatricians and/or state agencies such as Zero to Three can provide additional resources, including individual and group therapy. Overwhelmed or depressed caregivers can receive treatment that in turn allows them to better care for children.