The new baby Flashcards
Concept of Attachment
A strong affectional tie felt for special people
most often used in context of infant/child development
attachment to people makes us feel pleasure and joy when we interact with them, and comfort from being near them in times of stress
Attachment behaviour
Activity aimed at attaining or maintaining close contact with a particular person perceived to be better able to cope with the world
Psychoanalytic - theories of attachment
the infant’s emotional tie to the mother provides the foundation for all social relationships
Freud incorrectly argued that
breastfeeding is the central context
for infant-mother attachment
- food and oral pleasure
Learning theory - theories of attachment
the mother is a positive reinforcer of feeding behaviour
- the baby learns that the mother satisfies hunger, so a
positive perception of the mother is formed
- mothers reinforce this process - they learn that
breastfeeding can stop crying
as with the psychoanalytic approach, learning theory incorrectly considers breastfeeding to be central to attachment
theories of attachment – ethological
breastfeeding is an important context for building the mother-baby relationship, but attachment does not depend solely on the satisfaction of hunger
Harlow (1950s) examined attachment behaviour in monkeys to better understand attachment behaviour in humans
baby monkeys’ preference was for a soft “mother” rather than a milk-providing wire mesh “mother”
pre-attachment (0-6wks)
developing attachment (6wk-7mo)
clear cut attachment (7mo-2yr)
reciprocal relationship (2yr+)
pre-attachment: non-specific
developing: preference for certain people
clear-cut: separation anxiety, better ability
reciprocal relationship: separation anxiety diminishes
the importance of attachment
secure attachment leads to feelings that:
others will be available to us in times of need
we are competent and worthy of love and care
quality of attachment affects neurological development
limbic system - the “emotional brain”
temporal lobes - language
secure attachment during childhood is important for future cognitive, emotional, and social development
it is important to consider continuity of care-giving.
Parent-infant bonding
in the first few days of life -physical contact between mother and child - sound of the mother’s voice - smell of the mother’s body are very important for bonding
parents should be encouraged to engage in these behaviours
what behaviours encourage bonding?
Physical contact
- mothers encouraged to keep babies in close contact
- slings can be useful - touch, warmth, sound, smell.
Smell
- babies quickly learn to associate mother’s pheromones with comfort, pleasure, food
Sight
- 3 day olds can distinguish mother from others
- mothers who make early eye contact more likely to be authoritative parents
Sound
- predisposition and preference for mother’s voice
BUT IF NOT PRESENT ITS NOT OVER
how do parents adapt to parenthood?
what problems arise?
some have continuous joy others have mixed feelings
potential role conflict
– how does assuming the role “parent” affect the
enactment of other social roles?
delays to childbearing may affect women’s difficulty in combining the roles “mother” and “professional”.
fathers’ roles are changing
- involvement in birth (cf. 60s, 70s)
what onsets depression in mothers?
can be anticlimactic if baby isn’t as expected
Post-natal depression (PND) in ~15% of women.
- sucking changes levels of oxytocin and prolactin
- milk production (after ~3 days) ≈ “milk fever”
- changes to hormones and roles
- role conflict
- however, many women with PND have depressive symptoms during pregnancy
optimal duration for breastfeeding.
6-9 months
how does breastfeeding contribute to intelligence?
- nutrients in breast milk
- physical and psychological contact during BF
- other factors
