 | ||
|
| |    Depression in Infants and Toddlers by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. No one knows for certain whether infants experience depression as older children and adults do. Crying in infants doesn't seem to be a reliable sign of sadness. Infants who cry a lot are not particularly likely to grow up unhappy (ask any parent whose colicky baby turned into a sunny, optimistic individual). But some babies do act depressed: flat, passive, and without apparent joy. What causes this behavior, and what does it mean? Infant emotions Happiness is a basic human emotion. Very early on, infants show pleasure when they are fed, held, and rocked. As early as one or two months, some babies smile back when adults smile at them. By four months, most babies become positively gleeful when they are "talking" with a grownup. Why is interacting with adults so delightful for babies? The key factor seems to be that the grownup responds to the baby. When the baby says "goo," the grownup replies "gaa." When the baby smiles, the grownup's face lights up. Babies have an instinct that drives them to want to interact socially, and to see their actions reflected in the response of another person. Early depression What happens if the adult does not respond to the baby? At first, the baby tries harder to get a response, leaning forward and "goo-ing" more insistently. But after a while he seems to give up. Now and then he gives the unresponsive adult a wistful look, then looks away. Over time, the baby stops trying. His energy falls, his face becomes flat; he looks depressed. You have to take a baby's basic temperament into account. Many babies are quiet and passive, or fussy and irritable, without being depressed. The qualities that suggest depression are apathy, unresponsiveness, and a lack of (for want of a better word) pizzazz. Lots of babies act like this for short periods of time or when they are feeling sick, but then they perk up again. In these cases, there really is no need to be concerned about depression. Causes of depression Psychologists talk of "learned helplessness" as a cause of depression. Some of the saddest are children who have been raised in orphanages, with little loving human contact. Videotapes show these babies and toddlers with blank faces devoid of any spark of joy, humor, mischief, or even anger. They seem empty. (It's amazing, too, how many of these children perk up soon after being adopted into loving homes.) A less dramatic form of depressed behavior often follows separations from parents or primary caregivers. In the past, these separations were common among hospitalized children, because parents were not allowed to visit long. At first, the children would cry and perhaps refuse food; after several days, they would seem to get over their parents' absence, playing and eating again. But when their parents returned, the children would turn away. In order to protect themselves against the pain of longing for their parents, they had cut off their emotional attachment. It often took weeks or even months before the parent-child relationship recovered. Children handle hospitalization so much better when a parent or trusted adult can stay with them. What can you do? Parents who feel healthy, well rested, and supported by other family members naturally bring out the joy in their babies. But if you feel ill, exhausted, or alone--and many, many mothers feel this way!--you may not have a lot of energy for playing. You may feel emptied out. I think almost every parent feels this way some of the time, especially when her babies are very young. Normally, parents get support from their loved ones and community and the negative feelings pass. But when these feelings persist, day after day and week after week, parents need to be concerned about possible depression in themselves and their babies. If you think depression is a possibility, it is very important to talk about your feelings with an understanding adult--a family member, a friend, or a professional. Your child's doctor is another good source. Getting help for yourself is the first step. Once you are feeling better, you'll be more able to play joyfully with your baby, which will help protect both of you against depression.
| |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| About Us |
Contact Us |
Our Partners Privacy Policy | Ethics | Advertising Policy | Terms of Service © Copyright 2004 The Dr. Spock Company. All Rights Reserved. THIS SITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. The information drSpock.com
provides is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for
professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your health care
professional if you have a specific health concern. Mention or advertisement
of any product, service, or brand does not constitute endorsement, guarantee,
or recommendation by The Dr. Spock Company. Please read our full
Terms of Service. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
