Attentiveness to Baby Distress Important

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A mother's attentiveness to her baby's distress, especially in the first year, is very important to the child's secure attachment, a U.S. study finds.

Unfortunately, sometimes it's difficult for parents to deal with their child's distress, said Nancy McElwain of the University of Illinois. A mother may become anxious when her baby is really unhappy and try to comfort him by saying, 'Oh, don't cry, don't cry.' But it's OK to cry.

If the new mother wasn't comforted very well by her own mother when she was a child, she may need help learning to console her own infant, according to McElwain.

McElwain coded maternal sensitivity to distress and non-distress in 357 mothers and their babies at six and 15 months, then assessed attachment security in the babies at 15 months.

A mother's sensitivity to her baby's distress at six months was a significant predictor of the baby's attachment security at 15 months, but sensitivity during times of non-distress was not, said McElwain. It's important that babies become securely attached to their caregivers, because it's the foundation for future healthy child development.

The findings are published in the Journal of Family Psychology.