Infant Attachment
Infant attachment is the deep emotional connection or bonding that an infant forms with his or her primary caregiver, often the mother. Bonding is the feeling of love for and dedication to an infant that helps the parent cope with the difficulties of caring for a baby without immediate reward. This bond endures over time and leads the infant to experience pleasure, joy, safety, and comfort in the caregiver’s company.
Secure parent-child relationships help children to:
- cope better in stressful situations
- explore their environment with confidence
- learn and grow to be healthy adults.
Children who are securely attached are more likely to be caring and cooperative and to build positive relationships in the future.
To build a close relationship, you and your baby need to learn to communicate with each other. When your baby is young, he/she cannot talk, so she shows you what she wants or how she feels with sounds, actions, and facial expressions. By watching your baby closely you will learn what he is “saying” and how to respond in a way that meets his needs.
The more you learn to read and respond to your baby’s signals or cues, the more your baby will respond to you. This is the beginning of a warm and loving relationship between you and your baby.
Services related to this information:
Public Health Nursing offices, Eastern Health
811 HealthLine (Newfoundland & Labrador) – Call 811 or 1-888-709-2929 / TTY 1-888-709-3555
