Birth and Newborns Psychology

Birth During birth, a baby’s oxygen supply is temporarily interrupted, and babies are almost always born in a state of oxygen deprivation. Crying clears fluids from the respiratory tract and allows the baby to take in great gulps of air that inflate the lungs. When going through birth, babies release stress hormones called catecholamines that put the baby in a state of alertness. This alertness helps the initial bond a mother feels for her baby.

Infant-Parent Bonding From the moment of birth, a baby seeks its mother In exchange, parents instinctively touch their newborns face, massage its trunk, and gaze into its eyes This interaction is crucial to establishing bonding – the growth of attachment between parent and child. Studies indicate that mother should bond with their child immediately after birth for at least 30 minutes. Mothers who had this immediate bonding soothed and fondled their one month olds more than mothers who did not have this bonding time.

Baby’s Reflexes Rooting Reflex: Babies instinctively turn toward the stimulus of touch and open their mouths. Moro Reflex: When a newborn is startled by a loud noise. Infants will fling out their arms and legs, then clench the fists and pull the arms back in a movement that resembles embracing. Babinski Reflex: stroking the bottom of an infants foot causes the toes to spread and turn upward.

Baby’s sight Newborns can see, but only with blurred vision, cannot see beyond 18 inches. May be protection against too much visual stimulation at such an early age. Babies can still make out human faces, patterns, sharp outlines, and moving objects.

Baby’s Hearing Very acute from birth Some research indicates that babies can pick out their mother’s voice from among several similar voices This could be from time spent in the womb. Research suggests that babies seem to prefer higher pitched voices (more feminine).

Baby’s Taste, Smell, and Touch Can detect the difference between sweet and bitter. Salty and Sour will follow later Within days of birth, baby will develop a sense of smell which will further help with taste. Newborns have a highly developed sense of touch. Being touched or held one way will calm baby while a different way can stimulate baby.

Baby’s Motor Skills Requires teamwork between brain and body Certain skills cannot be learned until sections of the brain have developed. Gross motor skills: uses large voluntary muscles. Holding up head, crawling, walking, etc. Fine Motor Skills: requires the skilled manipulation of hands and feet, fingers and toes. These skills demand coordination with the eye as well as advanced cognitive ability

Developing Feelings From birth they have basic feelings: get pleasure from sweet things, certain physical stimulation, etc. Genuine emotions (bodily sensations and experiences and the memory to connect them) do not begin until about 8 months. Can understand cause and effect Anger and frustration 18 months and babies begin to feel more complex, adult emotions. Pride, shame, embarrassment, and guilt

Learning in the First 24 Months First month: actions are almost entirely reflexive. 1-4 Months: Baby can repeat certain reflexive actions (grasping and sucking). 4-8 Months: repeat learned responses (shaking a toy or banging a block) 8-12 Months: Problem solving, will try several solutions to a problem. 12-24 Months: The beginning of symbolic thought. Baby will use mental trial and error in place of strictly physical explorations of reality.