“Infant mental health” is an idea that is unfamiliar to many people, including some health professionals. Despite the knowledge of infant development gained from over 30 years of research, many individuals are unaware of the impact that the infant’s environment, including the prenatal environment, can have on his developing brain. When chronic disturbances or disruptions go unrecognized and untreated, they increase the likelihood for poor social and emotional health as the child grows.

Extensive research has shown that the quality of experiences in the first 3 years of life has a profound impact on later development, including how children perform in school, and their ability to form satisfying relationships with teachers, friends and others. Having caring relationships with sensitive parents or other primary caregivers is the most important factor in determining later outcomes. Healthy infant development rests on the foundation of relationships--relationships that help the baby feel secure and confident that his needs will be met. Without that confidence, babies have a lot of trouble exploring and learning about their worlds.

The field of Infant Mental Health encompasses research and practice devoted to understanding and addressing the multiple problems that can impede the development of early parent-child relationships. Sometimes, a babies difficult temperament, premature birth, or other biologically-based challenges make them hard to understand or to soothe, which causes parents confusion and distress. Other times, a parent’s struggle with depression, the stress of poverty, or memories of early trauma in her own life makes it difficult to feel connected to the baby, or to know how to respond to baby’s needs in a sensitive and appropriate way.

The field of infant mental health encompasses universal awareness of the importance of the early years, brief interventions with special populations of infants and families, and parent-infant psychotherapy to parents and infants experiencing the most distress. There is currently a dearth of professionals at all levels that have both the knowledge base and the skill sets to practice as infant mental health specialists and meet the need for these services in our communities.


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