What is Infant Mental Health?

Infant Mental Health is the development of a healthy mind in the infant.

Mental health for an infant means having rewarding relationships with parents or carers; developing the ability to manage emotions; being interested and curious; and being able to explore and learn about their world around them.

The mental health of an infant affects their mental health in childhood, adolescence and adulthood. This means a baby’s mental health is not just important now, but also for their future.

The relationship between an infant and parent or carer is a special one, but getting to know each other can bring many challenges. Many things can get in the way of love and understanding in parents or carers, and in an infant.

A infant’s behavior is their language, and they depend on adults to interpret their cues and communications. This means they need parents or carers to speak and ask for help for them.              

Supporting infant mental health means supporting this special relationship and having a network of support. Sometimes partners, family and friends are enough, but sometimes they are not. Health Visitors or Family Nurse Partnership Nurses can often be of great help, but sometimes the support that is needed requires something more.

Infant Mental Health Team

The Infant Mental Health team supports infants up to their third birthday living in Grampian with their parents or kinship carers. The service offers both direct and indirect care. For example:

• Consultation appointments with Health Visitors and Family Nurses as the named person for the infant as well
• Specialised therapeutic interventions to support parent infant relationships
• Neonatal Behavioral Observation (NBO) 
• Watch, Wait and Wonder
• Video Interactive Guidance  
• Circle of Security Parenting (COSP)
• Solihull Approach

If you have concerns about your infant’s emotional development and well-being, or about the parent-infant relationship, please discuss these with your Health Visitor or Family Nurse. If you do not know who they are, contact your GP and they will be able to advise you.

What is an Infant Mental Health Service? How can they help me and my family?

Please follow this link for more information: The Scottish Perinatal Mental Health Care Pathways – Parent-Infant Therapy - Perinatal Mental Health Network Scotland

Voice of the Infant Best Practice Guidelines and Infant Pledge

The Voice of the Infant Best Practice Guidelines and Infant Pledge was launched by the Scottish Government in March 2023.

The new guidelines provide direction on how to take account of infants’ views and rights in all encounters. The guidelines offer suggestions on how those who work with babies and very young children can notice, facilitate and share the infant’s feelings, ideas and preferences that they communicate through their gaze, body language and vocalisations. The Infant Pledge states clearly what babies and very young children should expect from those around them.

Please follow this link for more information: Voice of the Infant: best practice guidelines and infant pledge - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Resources for parents / carers

• Understanding Your Child Series: Publications by The Tavistock Clinic
  
  
• Wellbeing for Wee Ones - Parent Club
  
  
• Getting to know your baby videos
  
  
• UNICEF Baby Friendly Resources
  
  
• Butterfly Baby Clinic
  
  
• Solihull Approach - In Our Place

Contact Us

Infant Mental Health Team:

E-mail: gram.imh@nhs.scot

 

Published: 24/04/2024 11:36