Even in 2021, infant mental health is a topic with several misconceptions attached to it. Parents and society alike tend to ignore this crucial matter, unaware that doing so might lead to several issues for a grown-up individual later in their life.
It is essential to create dialogue around Infant mental health and perceive it as something that holds equal value as that held by an adult’s mental health.
This article covers the basic knowledge regarding Infant’s mental health and shows why it is important:
What Is Infant Mental Health?
Also referred to as “early childhood mental health”, infant mental health refers to the mental and psychological well-being of children. The age group of children catered under this specific concept is from birth to 5 years of age.
This concept covers the treatment of the children in this age group by their parents and caregivers as well as the emotional and physical response of the children in the presence or absence of the needed attention by their adults.
How Does Infant Mental Health Affect the Kids?
Young kids need a lot of attention from their adults and parents. While they cannot say it from their mouth, the absence of lack of attention from the caregivers and elders in the house can affect these children in ways that are way more disturbing than one can imagine.
The lack of attention to a child’s mental health shows in their later years in the form of several intense mental and psychological issues and emotional stresses.
It would not be wrong to claim Infant Mental Health as something that shapes an infant into their adult version and decides their mental strengths and weakness for the later years.
How To Ensure Proper Attention to An Infant’s Mental Health?
It is the parents’ and family’s duty to take care of an infant’s mental health. Among the most common psychological needs of a child, proper care and development of strong bonding since day one is essential and plays a huge role in their mental development.
Extra care and attention during the first 5 years of a child’s life are essential in their development. Parent’s well awareness of the Infant Mental Health helps them provide this needed care and attention to the child – thereby helping them develop better.
The Importance of Infant Mental Health
It is during their infancy that the children learn to develop foundations for affection, emotional attachments, and emotions. These things altogether make what is otherwise known as the composition of Infant Mental Health.
Since their early days, children have to innate need to be cared for and loved – something their parents provide to them.
Proper care towards to the Infant Mental Health develops an infant into a better person in the future and is also essential for their physical well-being during the vulnerable times of their life. Hence, parents and caregivers have no choice but to fully cater to a child’s infant Mental Health Affect regardless of everything.