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Similar social learning opportunities
occur when an infant attempts to communicate through its cries. Crying
may be spurred because the infant is hungry, in pain, uncomfortable or
frightened. Often upon waking, an infant will begin to signal to its caregiver
with soft whimpering, which eventually accelerates into frantic crying
if it receives no response.
Sometimes crying is misconstrued
as an idealized expression of anger or manipulation. Yet, such distressed
crying in a young infant might better be described as a fear response.
A fear invoked by the uncomfortable feeling of being soiled, the rumbling
of stomach pains, or the vulnerableness of being alone in the dark.
Fear of predators and death is an
emotion deeply seated within our evolutionary biological makeup. In our
earliest days, families and tribes huddled closely together in the dark
to help soothe this fear. The idea of "safety in numbers" held true, because
a larger group of humans would fair better warding off predators as a small
group or sole individual would.
Today, we as parents may know that
an infant is safe alone in its crib. However, the biology of an infant's
brain is initially encoded with innate fear responses, which are easily
prompted often in early life.
When the infant is in a state of
helpless fear and panic the amygdala kicks in and sends messages
to the brain to prepare the body for "flight or fight." An infant can neither
fight nor flee. If the panic isn't subdued by intervention from a nurturing
adult, the flood of chemicals and hormones may rage through the brain,
specifically targeting the amygdala and hippocamus, for an unhealthy length
of time.
Crying infants who are unattended
have been known to cry desperately for an hour or more until the amygdala
eventually shuts down. The infant in turn, learns after repeated episodes
that it can not expect comfort and response to its cries, and it may decide
its needs are unworthy of attention and nurturing--a decision which may
ultimately affect the infant's development of self-worth and connectedness
to the world.
Even though the brain may eventually
determine it is not in any danger on its own, vital opportunities to develop
and reinforce social lessons in trust, security and empathy may be missed
if no attempt is made by a nurturing caregiver to calm that state of emotional
turmoil.
Next page >>>> Infant
Crying and the Brain,
1,
2, 3
SUBJECT LIBRARY INDEX
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of an infant's emotional perceptions continue to develop through ongoing
interaction with its mother or primary caregiver.3
