There is evidence from a range of studies to suggest that maternal psychosocial health can have a significant effect on the mother-infant relationship, and that this in turn can have consequences for both the short and long-term psychological health of the child.
Barlow J, Coren E
Who is affected by failure to thrive?
Infants born into families with psychological, social, or economic problems are more at risk of developing nonorganic failure to thrive. NOFTT occurs when maladaptive behaviors develop in both the infant and the primary caregiver. Maladaptive behaviors may develop around problems establishing regular, calm feeding routines, problems of attachment between the mother and the infant, and/or problems of separation.
-OHSU Health
1. All children are born wired for feelings and ready to learn.
2. Early environments matter and nurturing relationships are essential.
3. Society is changing and the needs of young children are not being addressed.
4. Interactions among early childhood science, policy, and practice are problematic and demand dramatic rethinking
-From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development
Studies have proven the following:
(1) That babies in the womb are alert, aware, and attentive to activities involving voice, touch, and music
(2) that babies benefit from these activities by forming stronger relationships with their parents and their parents with them making for better attachments and better birthing experiences
(3) that these babies tend to show precocious development of speech, fine and gross motor performance, better emotional self-regulation, and better cognitive processing.
