Infant developmental stage

Infant Developmental Stage

• Attachment (function of attachment in developmental stage, parent and child behaviors, any other qualities associated with secure attachment)
  • As mentioned by Davies (2011), infants need their caretakers as a part of their maturation process.  While infants do have natural capacities to allow them to organize their experiences, caregivers and the interaction they provide, help shape what their experience will be like.  In this sense, the caregivers are integral in helping shape the infants values and culture.
  • When infants cry or show distress, the parents responsiveness and alertness to their infant will indicate a secure or distressed attachment.  The responsive parent will even learn the difference of cries and what their baby needs.
  • The secure attachment will also be influenced by the parent’s observation of what the newborn likes or dislikes.  This may include continual time spent with the infant and even speaking with him to build interaction.
  • Parents who are “still-faced” or are depressed/anxious, present a disturbing image to the infant, leaving them without any proper model for organizing their world.  This will lead to an ambivalent attachment.  Also, too inconsistent of an emotional response will leave the infant alone to cope with their distress too frequently.  This leads to negative effects on their own future self-regulation.
  • Attachment can be demonstrated by: 1) an increase in social smiling, 2) increasing attempts to engage the parent, 3) comfort provided by the caregiving through voice, looks and play, 4) the infant showing preferential treatment to the caregiver over strangers and 5) the infant developing different expectations for different people.