An Overview of Separation Anxiety in Infants
Between the ages of 6 months and 10 months old, most infants begin to develop a fear of being separated from their parents or primary caregivers. This development can be stressful for you and your baby, but is perfectly healthy and will pass with time. The development of separation
anxiety is a sign that your baby has developed a strong sense of attachment to you.
What Is Separation Anxiety?
Separation anxiety is the fear that babies experience:
- As they begin spending more time away from you
- Before they have had the opportunity to learn what your absence means and they develop a level of trust that you will return.
When separation anxiety starts, your baby might begin showing signs of anxiety or fear of new people and new situations. This is paired with an increased clinginess to you.
Infants and young toddlers all tend to experience separation anxiety in varying degrees. The anxiety they experience stems from their inability to understand two important concepts. Babies do not understand that when you leave the room:
- You still exist
- You will be back.
Understanding that you still exist is a fairly complex concept that takes awhile to grasp. Without understanding this, you can imagine how scary and confusing it would be to see your favorite person disappear from sight.
In addition to not understanding that concept, babies also take awhile to learn trust. Trust is a special part of the attachment process that needs to be worked on and developed. It is something that comes with time and repeated positive experience together.
HealthSavvy Sign In
|
