Infant depression
Date :
Thursday, January 21 2010
Source:
Autourina Mains
Can infants be depressed? It is hard to imagine a baby depressed but research on infant mental health has shown that infants as young as 2 months old can exhibit signs of depression. Recently there has been more research on infant mental health because the first 5 years of life are the formative years. A baby who is mentally, emotionally and socially healthy will grow up to be a mentally, socially and emotionally healthy adult. Researchers have found the quality of care in early years is the key to the emotional health of the baby.
Human beings are born with an instinct to socialize. Babies have an inner desire to interact socially and to see their actions reproduced in the responses of another person. One of human’s basic emotions is happiness. Babies exhibit happiness when they are fed on demand, changed, held, rocked and talked to. They enjoy exploring new toys and delight in playing with parents and primary care providers. Most babies smile to respond to someone talking to them by the age of 2 months and show their happiness when “talking” to a person by the age of 4 months. If a baby does not get positive feedback or response to his attempt to socialize with the caregiver, then he tries harder. What happens when the baby keeps trying to talk, coo, smile, and socialize with an unresponsive adult? The baby tries harder to get responses, but after repeated failings to get positive feedback, the baby gives up and over time he stops trying.
When the baby stops trying, then there is cause for concern of possible depression. Here are some signs of how babies exhibit depression:
- Displays very little emotion
- Does not show interest in sights sounds or touch
- Rejects or avoids being touched or held or playing with others
- Unusually difficult to soothe or console
- Unable to comfort or calm self
- Extremely fearful or on-guard
- Does not turn to familiar adults for comfort or help
- Exhibits sudden behavior changes
- Some children try to meet their own needs. They “self-stimulate” or rock back-and-forth trying to nurture themselves. They may be so starved for affection that they seek hugs from any willing adult.
A simple solution to preventing depression in infants can include providing quality care. Providing quality care in an environment that is nurturing and caring with loving adults is the key to preventing infant depression. It is absolutely vital for parents and primary care providers to recognize the importance of interacting with babies. Babies that establish a loving relationship with the nurturing adults in their life will be more apt to explore their world. The more a baby explores his world and tries new things, the more success he will experience. Good relationships build the babies self-esteem and help her feel valued. It also builds the foundation for life-long positive social interaction. So…keep talking and playing with your baby because you are feeding the emotional and social needs of your baby. Please bear in mind that other causes of depression in babies and children may be due to mother’s drug and alcohol use during pregnancy. That is a more serious condition needing professional diagnosis and intervention. NEVER attempt to diagnose depression as it is a medical condition requiring professional intervention.