INFANCY AND NURTURUNG

                                                         

It has been accepted, for some time, that the quality of the interactions between parent and infant can influence the child’s development in ways that will last for his entire lifetime.

In his book (highly recommended) HOW CHILDREN SUCCEED, Paul Tough, provides an excellent review of the recent studies that have been conducted to give us a better understanding of the parent infant relationships including the positive results if this is done well as well as the negative if done poorly. The initial insights into the parent/ infant relationships were a by product of a study that was designed to look at an unrelated problem.

The initial study of parent/infant relationships and how they effect the infant in the long term happened almost by accident. Michael Meaney and his graduate assistant at McGill university were conducting tests on mice and their interactions with their young.  While conducting this study mice were placed in unfamiliar environments to see how they would deal with a foreign or stressful situation. A lab assistant happened to notice that some mice were bold and confident while mice others were hesitant and reluctant to explore their new space. Through further observation he was able to determine that the difference in behavior was dependent on which mothers the mice came from. The mice who had mothers who were nurturing, physical and stayed close to her young, were the mice who demonstrated less stress, and more confidence and the mice from the less nurturing mothers were far more timid and cautious.

Maeaney continued to run test after test to see how the increased ability to deal with stress would benefit the mice in other areas. “They were better at mazes. They were more social.  They were more curious. They were less aggressive. They had more self-control. They were healthier. They lived longer." Meaney and his researchers were astounded. (Tough, pg 30)

This on its own was a valuable insight but it got even better. By studying the brains of the mice after they died they discovered that the area of the brain that manages stress was more developed in the mice who had been nurtured by their mothers. The nurturing they received had fostered a physiological development of the brain. This study caused quite a stir  since this was the first time a clear link had been established between parental nurturing and the physical development of the brain. It was also significant because in all of the years of using mice and rats to conduct tests this rather insignificant behavior of the mothers that had such a profound effect on the life experiences of their off spring had gone undetected.

Meaney went on to study the brains of humans and found the same results. Those who had been raised in a stressful household where there was little or no affection were found to have an underdeveloped stress response area of the brain when compared with those who had come from a warm and nurturing environment. 

Further research has been done with humans to support this idea that nurturing in infancy can effect the infant long into adulthood. Two psychologists at the University of Minnesota conducted a long-term test to determine how the mother/infant child relationship can effect the development of the adult. What they found was that “attachment status at one year of age ….was highly predictive of a wide range of outcomes later in life.”  (Tough pg. 35)  They found that “Children with a secure attachments early on were more socially competent throughout their lives, better able to engage with preschool peers, better able to form close friendships in middle school, better able to negotiate the complex dynamics of adolescent social networks,” (Tough pg 35)

IMPLICATIONS

The implications that these studies have for parents of infants is quite obvious.  Infants need to be nurtured, held, cuddled, talked to, touched, sang to, laughed with and played with. What these studies do is show us just how important doing this is and the consequeces for both you and your child if you fail to provide a nurturing environement,

The results of nurturing will be seen early on in your child’s behaviors as he develops and becomes more expressive. More importantly, though, is the effect this will have on his ability to negotiate the complex world of school.  The child who is nurtured is better able to control his behaviors in school, independently advocate for himself, relate to peers and to get the most out of school. What kind of relationship an infant has with his parents is a much better indicator of how well he will do in school and in life than any measure that we have. As parent you have to realize that you only have one opportunity to accomplish this and if it isn’t done then it won’t be.

 Your child is an infant only once and what his experience of the world is like at this time will affect his entire life.  So regardless of what is going on in your life nurturing your infant is the most important thing and this is something that takes time.  He needs you most the time that he is not sleeping. He also needs you to respond to his needs when he expresses them so go to him when he cries –daytime or nighttime- respond to his calls for you.  Let him know that the new world he finds himself in will respond to his needs.  The idea of leaving a baby to “cry himself out” is not a good one to follow and remember you cannot spoil and infant.

NOTE FROM BLOGGER

There is always an issue with pronouns when you write for the public. What is the correct way the handle the gender pronouns. Do I use him? Her? Him/her? Or as is common practice in some countries combine them into hen?

I decided to use the rule that says you use the pronoun that is correct for your gender.  I will therefore be using him/he when referring to one child whose gender is not specified.  I hope I do not offend anyone by doing so.

Also there is a comment section now following this blog and I would love to hear what you have to say.