The O. U. R. Children’s Safety Project
An Introduction to Infant Mental Health
By Sara Kennedy, H&V Headquarters
What is infant mental health and what is important for parents and those supporting parents raising children with hearing loss to know about it?
This was the topic of the April 2019 teleconference call with Denise Davis-Pedrie, who has more than 30 years’ experience with early intervention and early childhood deaf education. Davis-Pedrie shared that the definition of infant mental health: the developing capacity of the child from birth to 5 years of age to form close relationships, manage and express emotions, and explore the environment and learn. Strong early childhood relationships help very young children to develop trust, empathy, compassion and a sense of right and wrong.
As early as eight months of age, a baby can experience emotions like fear, sadness and anger. A baby’s moods can swing widely from contented watching to delight to petulant crying. It is the parent’s job to recognize emotion as part of the language of development early on. The emotions a baby “feeds on” in the early years is an important influence on psychological/emotional development, as much as a baby’s diet influences physical growth and function. An adult with strong mental health development is one who can handle most stress and shows empathy toward others. Many very young parents have not completed the
What can parents do to support mental health development?
Labeling emotions and maintaining a sense of calm around a baby’s expressed emotions gives a baby a sense of safety with feelings. Not only that, but labeling emotions starts the important teaching of the vocabulary to be able to express what one is feeling. Parents can share feelings of frustration, joy, disappointment, and hope, and label these and more emotions in their children. Even hazarding a guess as to a young baby’s emotion facilitates early communication about feelings.
A child learns to trust through consistent responses from parents and caregivers and develops attachment to them. Familiar routines and a stable environment where basic needs for food, warmth, cuddling, playing and interaction are met sets a baby off on a good learning curve developing trust and learning to interact in a healthy way with others.
What influences shape the child’s development in the early years? The bond between the baby and parent(s), the atmosphere of the home and the temperament of the baby are three early factors. For bonding, parents and child need extended and frequent physical contact, holding, rocking, and close physical proximity. A caregiver’s emotions can have a significant impact on the baby’s development. If parents are tense and anxious, babies can feel disconnected and less than confident; while parents who maintain calm, predictable routines that are a match to a baby’s temperament (even with occasional periods of stress and unpredictability like all families experience) can contribute greatly to developing behavior patterns that support strong, healthy development.
Interested in more information on this topic? See the webinar along with other recordings archived on the website: http://www.handsandvoices.org/resources/OUR/index.htm Davis-Pedrie also shared resources such as the State of Babies Yearbook: https://stateofbabies.org/ For the first time, the annual Yearbook compares national and state-by-state data on the well-being of infants and toddlers. The current state of babies tells an important story about what it is like to be a very young child in this country. Another resource shared was Zero to Three- Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: https://www.zerotothree.org/early-development/infant-and-early-childhood-mental-health.
Finally, the team reviewed the latest draft of the Parent Safety Toolkit now under development and a view of the one page tipsheets divided by age group. “See” you on the call the second Tuesday of each month. The Vook Club meets on the Monday after the teleconference call. Both take a break in the summer until after the Leadership Conference in September. Parents and professionals are still welcome to join in this effort.
*What is O.U.R. Children Safety Project – (Observe, Understand, and Respond)? Hands & Voices has created a Community of Learners, comprised of parents, family members and professionals, to explore and develop activities that will work to increase the safety and success of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. This welcoming and inclusive community of learners values participation from Hands & Voices leadership including GBYS and ASTra program staff. Through discussion and critical reflection, the group focuses on issues to increase awareness and understanding surrounding prevention of child maltreatment for deaf, hard of hearing and deaf plus children. Together, members of O.U.R. identify and determine action steps that support others in their own communities that serve to observe and respond to instances of abuse, neglect and bullying, as well as cohesively work to enhance policies for prevention within the systems of care serving D/HH children and families. The O.U.R. Children Safety Project incorporates the foundation and mission of Hands & Voices, and as such guides the message of prevention throughout Hands & Voices state and provincial chapters in order to carry out the work that enables deaf, hard of hearing and deaf plus children to reach their highest potential. ~
H&V Communicator – Summer 2019