Early Experiences May Be Linked to ADD?

In the Sunday New York Times (Jan 29, 2012), researcher L. Alan Sroufe wrote on Op-Ed exploring  ADD examining the effectiveness of Ritalin.

Sroufe writes, "Attention-deficit drugs increase concentration in the short term, which is why they work so well for college students cramming for exams. But when given to children over long periods of time, they neither improve school achievement nor reduce behavior problems. The drugs can also have serious side effects, including stunting growth."


Sroufe reviews a 2009 well-controlled study of 600 children:  "However brain functioning is measured, these studies tell us nothing about whether the observed anomalies were present at birth or whether they resulted from trauma, chronic stress or other early-childhood experiences. One of the most profound findings in behavioral neuroscience in recent years has been the clear evidence that the developing brain is shaped by experience."


Sroufe goes on to discuss results from his own and other longitudinal studies and concludes, "Putting children on drugs does nothing to change the conditions that derail their development in the first place. Yet those conditions are receiving scant attention."


The conditions that derail development (including exposure to domestic violence, lack of social support, chaotic living environments, and parental intrusiveness) are conditions which are addressed by infant mental health (IMH) home visiting.   


We are eager to hear from those of you working in or on behalf of IMH home visiting programs.


To read the full NY Times Op-Ed, go to http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/opinion/sunday/childrens-add-drugs-dont-work-long-term.html?pagewanted=all 

How do you describe infant mental health to others?

Are you asked about infant mental health?  How do you describe it to friends and family?  How do you describe it to new families recently referred for infant mental health home visiting services?  This question came up in a few contexts this week.  The first among the seminar students at Wayne State University Merrill Palmer Institute Graduate Certificate in Infant Mental Health.  The second in preparation for a taping of at Detroit Public Television show looking at children's mental health.  Here are some of the words staff at MI-AIMH and students at Merrill Palmer have used to describe infant mental health (IMH).  We ask you to join the conversation!

• Infant mental health recognizes both the remarkable opportunities and vulnerabilities that exist in the first three years of life. 
• IMH professionals aim to partner with the parents and caregivers of infants and toddlers. The professional brings her knowledge of development, specifically the infant's capacity for non-verbal communication. Together with the parent's intimate knowledge of this baby, they can try to better understand what it is the baby wants them to know. 
• Babies do remember. What happens in their world matters greatly to how they feel about themselves, their ability to relate to others, and their ability to begin Kindergarten ready to learn. 
• The best way to help an infant is to help her parents. Compassion and support offered to new parents during the adjustment to parenthood can lead to more compassionate and nurturing responses to their baby's needs. 
• When babies receive sensitive, nurturing care they are more likely to believe they are worthy of love as adults. They have healthier relationships and are at lower risk for engaging in dangerous behaviors such as smoking, drinking, and promiscuity. They are at lower risk for health problems such as obesity and diabetes. (ACE study, American Academy of Pediatrics) 
• Secure relationships offer a buffer if the infant is exposed to harm or trauma. 
• IMH is a name that is sometimes confusing or off-putting, but simply means that the very young child has the capacity to love and learn. Because babies are dependent upon the adults responsible for their care, those earliest relationship experiences are where the first schooling takes place. Therefore, the adults' capacities to see and respond to the needs expressed will teach important lessons about what the child can expect from others and himself. It is so much easier & less expensive to build on positive experiences in healthy development than to correct beliefs that come out of negative ones. 
• Whomever spends many hours in care of an infant or toddler needs to understand that good care involves so much more than the basics (feeding, cleanliness, etc), so child care providers & relatives, in addition to parents might also need compassion and support 
• Anyone with responsibility for making important decisions on behalf of young children, or providing support to families needs good information about development, early relationships, (etc.). IMH in Michigan - the first professional IMH organization...(you know all the things you can say about the importance of a competent workforce!)

And a quote borrowed from the Infant Massage USA Facebook page:


“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”
~ Frederick Douglass (1817–1895) 

What do home visitors need to know when working with babies?

To order the Competency Guidelines, please go to http://mi-aimh.org/products/publications/mi-aimh-endorsement-competencies

Much interest has been generated in home visiting, particularly to support babies and their families.  Home visitors need knowledge and specialized skills to enter into relationships with families and to support social and emotional well-being in the critical early years.

So, what does a home visitor need to know? Knowledge about pregnancy & early parenthood; infant development & behavior, how family dynamics work, how attachment emerges and can be harmed by prolonged separation, trauma, and loss; and how to be culturally sensitive.  That's just the beginning!

They need to be sensitive to the relevant laws & policies that affect families and that affect home visiting programs, they need to understand how to manage ethical dilemmas, and how to locate appropriate resources like food, diapers, shelter, and pediatric health care.

 What skills do home visitors need to have?  They need to be able to observe & listen carefully, to screen for capacities and risks, to respond sensitively to what they see and hear, to support parents in nurturing and protecting their baby's development.

Above all, home visitors need to know all development unfolds in the context of relationships.  Infants develop best within secure and loving relationships.  Parents develop best when supported by  family and professionals within the community who offer nurturing relationships.  Home visitors need to understand  that their relationship is the most important instrument for positive change.

Go to the MI-AIMH website for more guidance and information in developing a professional work force who has the knowledge and skills to promote better outcomes for babies and families!
MI-AIMH website