Infant Development Essay

What is temperaments and how is it formed? Temperament is the way a person or in this matter a child or infant would behave or react to an event or their environment (Cook & Cook, 2014). A temperament is formed by nature and nurture, all thought an infant is born with an “innate tendency” the temperament will form as the infant parents reinforce this temperament (Cook & Cook, 2014). Some infants are born more sociable, and others might be shy and even afraid of most things (Cook & Cook, 2014). Everyone needs to feel accepted, and children are not far behind, is important they feel accepted even if their temperament “isn’t easy to handle” or just a breeze temperament (Zerotothree, 2010). A child’s temperament and personality can be a something they have inherited from the infants’ parents, but the environment where the infant grows is just as important as the genetics (Cook &

A healthy or secure attachment develops over time because of a caregiver’s consistent, sensitive care that they have towards a young child. Each time a caregiver interacts in ways that focus fully on the individual child, it furthers connections. When a caregiver attempts to read a baby’s cues and tries to respond to the child’s needs and wishes, the baby learns the caregiver is a source of comfort and security. Children with secure attachments learn that their world is a safe place because the people in it are caring and understanding. They also learn that their ways of communicating result in others responding and understanding them. This reinforces their efforts to continue to express themselves to others. Consistent back-and-forth exchanges that happen over time are one of the ways to build positive relationships. Children with secure attachments feel confident in exploring their environment, which allows them to learn. It’s the accumulation of intimacy during these numerous interactions that turns ordinary tasks into a relationship-based curriculum.

In secure attachments the infant is stable and secure. Their caregiver is there when they need it. He or she is confident that the mother will offer protection and care (Strong & Cohen, 2014). About 60-65 percent of infants in our society have secure attachments.

A person’s temperament, biology, environment, and even attachment to others can affect how social the individual is. Temperament is an important aspect of emotional development. Temperament is the pattern of arousal and emotionality that are consistent and enduring characteristics of an individual (Shriner B., & Shriner M., 2014). We all have a temperament, and according to Eric

Secure attachment: Secure attachment occurs when a child will freely explore when the caregiver is present, and may exhibit distress when the caregiver parts with them, and displays happiness when the caregiver returns (Schacter, 2009). Parents who frequently respond to their children’s needs create securely attached children. In turn, children will be confident that their parents will respond to them (Schacter, 2009). Children who are securely attached to their caregivers are able to

Attachment is defined as a deep, affectionate, and enduring emotional bond that forms between two people, namely an infant and a caregiver. It is developed during the first years of an infant’s life and has four types depending on the quality of the attachment: secure, ambivalent, avoidant, and disorganised. It has been reported that approximately only 60 to 65 percent of children form secure attachment to their caregivers. Research indicates that the early attachment relationship is an essential foundation for later development. Insecurely attached infants are more likely to grow into aggressive, defiant and hyperactive individuals with lower academic skills compared to securely attached children, they are also more prone to psychiatric disorders and other problems. In contrast, individuals who form a secure attachment in their infancy are more resilient to depression, parental stress, family instability, and poverty compared to those who form an insecure attachment. Given the prevalence and consequences, it is important to educate parents on the impacts that attachment quality can have on a child’s development and later life.

Young Infants attach themselves to a primary caregiver who is sensitive and attentive within the bond that occurs early on and allows the child to experience the nature of love, security, nourishment, stimulation and comfort. However if this attachment

Attachment is a key developmental goal in early childhood, and refers to the evolutionary drive for a young child to maintain proximity with a caregiver for the purposes of safety, protection, and regulation. Once attachments have been formed, the child can use the caregiver as a secure base to explore the environment and as a source of support and comfort when distressed. Young children begin to develop attachments with caregivers at a cognitive age of about 7 to 9 months; at this time the child will begin to show a preference for the attached person and may begin to object to being separated or show wariness with other, less familiar adults.

An infant’s attachment style is that of security and attachment to their guardian and using the guardian as a security model for exploration. The guardians of attachment tend to be receptive and cognoscente to their emotions so they can be explorative. In the same way these adult styles are similar their attachment method is available when they have a secure base. The attachment needs are quintessential.

The essence of attachment to a developing infant cannot be overstated. It is at the heart of healthy child development. Also, it lays a foundation when it comes to relating with others. It plays a crucial role in influencing the parent's ability to nurture and to be responsive to their children. The effects of attachment to the developing infant are long-term. Bowlby, the developer of the theory of infant-caregiver attachment, attachment security determines the infant’s preferential desire for contact with his or her caregiver (Levine, 23). The child uses the caregiver as a “secure base” from which to explore the environment. When infants develop securely attached relationships to their caregivers, they will have positive behaviours in the future. They also tend to show resiliency to new environments.

The nursery RN places the infant under a radiant warmer and starts to dry her quickly.

An infant with a secure attachment style has a natural bond with their parent, where they are able to trust them, at the same time leaving their side to discover and explore their surroundings. In an insecure/resistant attachment the relationship the child has with their mother or caregiver is very clingy, thus making them very upset once the caregiver is away. When the mother or caregiver is back they are not easily comforted and resist their effort in comforting them. In an insecure/avoidant attachment the infant is, “indifferent and seems to avoid the mother, they are as easily comforted by a stranger, as by their parent” (Siegler 2011, p.429). Lastly, the disorganized/disoriented attachment is another insecure attachment style in which the infant has no way of coping with stress making their behavior confusing or contradictory. Through these brief descriptions of the attachment theory, many researchers have defined the turning point in which each attachment definition can have an influence on one’s self esteem, well-being and their marital relationship.

Most of the infants belong to the Secure Attachment, when their caregivers return, they become positive and cheerful again. For the Avoidant Attachments, the return of caregivers is ignored by the infants - it is due to the conflicting care, which means that the children’s desires are rejected by the caregivers or parents. In the Resistant Attachment situation, the infants feel contradicted on the return of their caregivers as they want to ask for proximity but they will be rejecting the caregivers for interaction, as they feel unsecure and ambivalent. (McLeod 2008, 2014)

The relationship between security of attachment and cognitive development creates the underlying foundation from which individual’s operate throughout the lifespan (Carruth, 2006). The security of attachment between an infant and their primary caregiver can have profound consequences for the developing brain, impacting an infant’s future relationships, self-esteem, and ability to self-regulate emotions (Carruth, 2006). Attachment theory, first theorized by John Bowlby (1988), stresses the significance of secure attachments in relation to cognitive development. Secure attachment is correlated with a decrease in high risk behaviors, fewer mental health issues, positive coping strategies, and healthy social skills (Burkett & Young, 2012

Attachment theory suggests that the experiences of early attachment affect the manner in which later relationships are developed by children and the way they learn relying on others for support and assistance. Consequently, this affects the development of children’s confidence and a sense of self-worth. Hence, both independence and dependence are promoted by a secure attachment. A primary caregiver is needed by children upon birth for assisting them in feeling secure and safe. In the absence of the primary caregiver, a substitute can be provided by some acquainted adults in case of momentary absence of primary caregiver (Goldberg, Muir, & Kerr, 2013). Derivation of safety by children enables them an exploration of the world. There are several reasons for which need for comfort, fear, and worry can be experienced by children. The presence of a close person calms the child in such situations where their safety appears to them to be at stake. This close entity is someone with whom attachment has been developed during the early stages of a child’s