Premature Babies & Parental Bonding Problems
The Encyclopedia of Children's Health defines bonding as "forming mutual psychological and emotional closeness" and adds that it is essential for the well-being of infants. Not only does bonding ensure quality care from the infant's primary caregiver, it's needed to help develop neural pathways in the baby's growing brain. The bonding process might be inhibited or delayed because of necessary medical intervention for the baby's health, intense parental stress or neurological damage associated with birth.
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Delayed Parental Attachment
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"The Impact of Premature Childbirth on Parental Bonding," an article published in the journal "Evolutionary Psychology," points out that parental bonding with newborn babies is not always automatic. Even if a baby is born full-term, some parents might need a few days or even weeks to fully bond with their infant. When the birth process is complicated by incubators, tubes and other medical necessities, along with the fear that the baby might not live, some parents of preemies might have a harder time bonding with the baby. However, the article points out that most parents of preemie babies bond within hours of the child's birth and are as sensitive and attentive to the baby's needs as parents of full-term infants.
Delayed Child Attachment
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The need for life support and other medical intervention can get in the way of normal contact between child and parent. However, pediatrician Dr. William Sears, proponent of "Attachment Parenting," points out that bonding with your baby isn't the "now or never" event some psychologists once thought it to be. Even if the initial bonding is delayed, a human baby's brain is resilient enough to "catch up" even several years beyond infancy.
Not Just Parenting
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Delayed parental attachment or separation for medical purposes might not be the only reason very premature babies do not attach properly. A study at University of Warwick and published in "Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition" found that while most very premature babies and low birth weight babies formed normal attachments with their parents, they are at higher risk for "disorganized attachment," a condition that might cause a child to strike out at the parent or pull away in situations where a normally attached child would be drawn to the parent or caregiver for comfort. In normal children, disorganized attachment is associated with child abuse. However, lead researcher Professor Dieter Wolke believes that it could be caused by neurological damage resulting from the premature birth.
The Good News
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According to WebMD.com, delayed attachment can be overcome in a variety of ways, including placement of your new baby's crib in the same room where you sleep, cuddling your baby next to your skin, looking into his eyes while you feed him, singing and talking to him. The key is to not panic if you don't instantly feel as if you have bonded with your child. If your child has symptoms of disorganized attachment, such as pulling away from you, be sure to let your pediatrician know that he is a preemie, as this can help her determine the best way to help you and your little one.
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If you have ever stepped into a daycare center for more than a couple of seconds or have more than one child, you know that each child is different. Their personality differences are varied as those we see in adults. Some of us are quieter than other
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Babies typically start to hold their head up at around 4 months old. However, this is a general guideline, and there is a range of normal development. Heres a breakdown:* 2-3 months: Baby can lift their head briefly while lying on their tummy.* 4-5 m
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Babies are born with the ability to see, but their vision isnt fully developed. Heres a breakdown of their visual development:* At birth: Babies can see blurry shapes and light, but they dont have clear vision. Theyre most attracted to high-contrast
