Infant mental health can be defined as the social and emotional wellbeing and development of children in the earliest years of life. It reflects whether children have the secure, responsive relationships that they need to thrive.
Infant mental health is central to the development of good mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. Through nurturing and investing in mental health in the first 1001 days, we can promote positive outcomes for infants and influence how they go on to parent their own children, affecting generations of children.
This June, Infant Mental Health Awareness Week is campaigning to include infants in children and young people’s mental health. The First 1001 days movement is encouraging professionals and organisations to change their language to talk about "infant, children and young people's mental health" wherever they can.
How can peer support help?
Volunteering and peer support can make a unique contribution to improving infant mental health. Through being a non-judgemental ‘professional friend’ for parents to share worries and feelings, peer supporters are often described as being ‘someone in my corner’. They will be there for a parent through pregnancy, birth and beyond, providing support at every step, if needed, including getting to know baby and emotional wellbeing
Pregnancy, birth and becoming a parent is a life-changing experience. For many it is a wonderful experience, but for others, it can be a very challenging time, for a whole range of reasons. Some parents may lack a support network, others may have had a difficult pregnancy or birth or be suffering with postnatal depression. Whatever a parent’s situation though, we do know that early preventative support can make a real difference, for them and their relationship with their baby.
A happy and responsive parent means a baby’s development will flourish. The informal nature of peer support can help parents and babies get to know each other from the start, recognising when things aren’t going well, drawing in further support at an early stage and enabling parents to understand the vital role they play in nurturing early infant development.
So let’s help to make infant mental health part of the conversation and let’s raise awareness of how powerful peer support can be in helping parents offer their children a secure, responsive relationship. Every parent deserves support, and every baby deserves the best possible start in life.