The following definition of infant mental health comes from the Zero to Three Infant Mental Health Steering Committee. “Infant mental health is the young child’s capacity to experience, regulate, and express emotions, form close and secure relationships, and explore the environment and learn.  All of these capacities will be best accomplished within the context of the care giving environment that includes family, community, and cultural expectations for young children.  Developing these capacities is synonymous with healthy social and emotional development.”

Early experiences matter and are important for the proper development of persons.  Risk and protective factors are experienced by all infants and these factors can increase or decrease the risks of developmental disruption, which in turn can foster behavioral and/or emotional disturbances.  Experiencing protective factors in infancy can reduce the negatives effects of risk factors, may enhance social and emotional competence and may even offer protection against present or future adversity.

Common risk factors for infants are increased stress, developmental delays, maternal depression, parental substance abuse, prematurity and certain parenting styles.

Problems with communication sleep, eating, learning, social interactions, emotional regulation and aggression are all signs that the infant’s mental health may be problematic.  Assessment of the child’s and family’s strengths and weaknesses are important in understanding an infant’s mental health status and provides information needed to craft interventions.

Our goal is to increase protective factors within the family structure which increases the child’s social competence and resilience.