Social referencing: Visual cliff
Attachment: relationships and quality of relationships
1. Developmental tasks in infancy
2. Attachment and development: from birth to adulthood
3. Different pathways for secure and insecure attachment
4. Attachment disorders
1. Developmental tasks in infancy
Infant mental health
‘’ The young child’s capacity to experience, regulate, and express emotions, form close and
secure relationships, and explore the environment and learn.
All of these capacities will be best accomplished within the context of the caregiving
environment that includes family, community and cultural expectations for young children.
Developing these capacities is synonymous with healthy social and emotional development.’’
(Zero to Three, 2001)
1. Physiological functioning
2. Temperament
3. Attachment
Physiological functioning
Three biobehavioral shifts in first year:
- Rhythmic routines of feeding, dressing, comforting
- Communicating feelings and intentions through gestures and vocalizations
- Exploring the environment by crawling, walking etc.
Disturbances related to physiology
- Pica: ingestion of nonfood substances, such as paint, pebbles or dirt
- Rumination: repeated regurgitation of food
- Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder: limited appetites, severe selectivity of food,
or fear of feeding
- Sleep-wake disorders: insomnia, disorders of arousal, nightmare disorder
Problems with food intake
When is it a problem and when a disorder?
, Disorder: inefficient and ineffective feeding pattern
- No experience of hunger and relief from hunger (Jalen, p.75)
- Developmental delay in feeding routine due to neglect (Grace, p.75)
- Aversive experiences with feeding (e.g. illness, force)
Role of the caregiving environment
- Increasing difficulties related to amounts of food, choices of food, and mealtime
behaviour that are not solved
- Worrying, frustration of the caregiver often increase the feeding problems
- Feelings of personal incompetence and anger towards the child increase stress
→ Empirically supported behavioral interventions and also attention for relational
issues
Problems with sleeping
Disorder: marked and persistent difficulties settling down and falling asleep, as well as
maintaining sleep through the night, associated with impaired daily functioning
DSM-5
- Insomnia: e.g., difficulties falling and staying asleep
- Disorders of arousal: e.g. sleep terrors or sleepwalking
- Nightmare disorder
10-30% problems in families with typically developing young children
Problems with sleeping: Etiology
Risk factors related to child:
- Individual differences in the ability to self-regulate and self-soothe,
- Difficult temperament,
- Medical condition,
- Insecure attachment
Risk factors related to parenting:
- Reinforcing maladaptive patterns,
- Problems setting limits
- Anxiety / depression,
- Marital difficulties
→ Temperament
→ Attachment
Temperament
Individual differences in:
- Reactivity: infant’s excitability and responsiveness
Attachment: relationships and quality of relationships
1. Developmental tasks in infancy
2. Attachment and development: from birth to adulthood
3. Different pathways for secure and insecure attachment
4. Attachment disorders
1. Developmental tasks in infancy
Infant mental health
‘’ The young child’s capacity to experience, regulate, and express emotions, form close and
secure relationships, and explore the environment and learn.
All of these capacities will be best accomplished within the context of the caregiving
environment that includes family, community and cultural expectations for young children.
Developing these capacities is synonymous with healthy social and emotional development.’’
(Zero to Three, 2001)
1. Physiological functioning
2. Temperament
3. Attachment
Physiological functioning
Three biobehavioral shifts in first year:
- Rhythmic routines of feeding, dressing, comforting
- Communicating feelings and intentions through gestures and vocalizations
- Exploring the environment by crawling, walking etc.
Disturbances related to physiology
- Pica: ingestion of nonfood substances, such as paint, pebbles or dirt
- Rumination: repeated regurgitation of food
- Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder: limited appetites, severe selectivity of food,
or fear of feeding
- Sleep-wake disorders: insomnia, disorders of arousal, nightmare disorder
Problems with food intake
When is it a problem and when a disorder?
, Disorder: inefficient and ineffective feeding pattern
- No experience of hunger and relief from hunger (Jalen, p.75)
- Developmental delay in feeding routine due to neglect (Grace, p.75)
- Aversive experiences with feeding (e.g. illness, force)
Role of the caregiving environment
- Increasing difficulties related to amounts of food, choices of food, and mealtime
behaviour that are not solved
- Worrying, frustration of the caregiver often increase the feeding problems
- Feelings of personal incompetence and anger towards the child increase stress
→ Empirically supported behavioral interventions and also attention for relational
issues
Problems with sleeping
Disorder: marked and persistent difficulties settling down and falling asleep, as well as
maintaining sleep through the night, associated with impaired daily functioning
DSM-5
- Insomnia: e.g., difficulties falling and staying asleep
- Disorders of arousal: e.g. sleep terrors or sleepwalking
- Nightmare disorder
10-30% problems in families with typically developing young children
Problems with sleeping: Etiology
Risk factors related to child:
- Individual differences in the ability to self-regulate and self-soothe,
- Difficult temperament,
- Medical condition,
- Insecure attachment
Risk factors related to parenting:
- Reinforcing maladaptive patterns,
- Problems setting limits
- Anxiety / depression,
- Marital difficulties
→ Temperament
→ Attachment
Temperament
Individual differences in:
- Reactivity: infant’s excitability and responsiveness
