Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Chapter 10 Social-Emotional Development in the First Year 295 of stress. These may include feeding and sleeping problems, fear of strangers, or excessive crying. Sometimes, parents and caregivers may inadvertently (unintentionally) cause stress in a baby’s environment. Main stressors include not meeting a baby’s physical needs, limiting a baby’s body contact with a parent, and not being a co-regulator when the baby is stressed. Not providing the baby with “serve and return” signals or providing harsh signals can also cause stress for the infant. When the baby’s environment is neglectful or chaotic, the baby has to adapt either by showing little response to the environment or by over- responding (being hypersensitive) to it. In both cases, these babies have surges of negative hormones, especially cortisol. Chronic elevation of cortisol increases blood pressure, pulse, and blood sugar level and interrupts digestive and excretory (kidney and bowel) functions. It also destroys brain cells, weakens attachment to parents, and is related to later depression. Infants need constant emotional support. Parents and other caregivers can provide this support by responding to the baby’s needs, holding the baby to a parent’s body, talking in a soothing voice, and being a co-regulator when the baby is distressed. Parents may also breast-feed to soothe the baby. (Compared with formula-feeding, breast-feeding reduces stress hormones.) Monitoring the baby’s environment, such as keeping noise levels down, can also be helpful for reducing stress. When problems arise, the following additional tips may help: • Decide if the problem is temporary. If the baby seems ill, seek prompt medical attention. If the baby does not seem ill, wait a few days. Babies do have mood • Name recognition. By four months of age, infants recognize their names if used often. Calling the infant by name during happy times gives the infant positive feelings about his or her name. Happy times include reunions between the adult and infant, such as after a nap or when the adult returns from work. Parents can also call the infant by name when talking to him or her during child care tasks or games. • Recognition of body parts. During the second half of the fi rst year, infants can learn to touch body parts (nose, ears, mouth, and hair) upon request and fi nd these same body parts in other people and stuffed animals. • Mirror play. Looking in mirrors also increases self-awareness. Infants enjoy seeing themselves in mirrors even before they know the images they see are their own. Calling the infant’s image by name is helpful. Infants like trying to identify body parts in their mirror image. Adults may place infants in front of mirrors so they can watch themselves eat, dress, and move. Infants also enjoy having nonbreakable play mirrors as toys. • Object possession. Toward the end of the fi rst year, infants become possessive about some objects. This should be encouraged, because infants’ understanding that some objects belong to them is part of self- awareness. Also, infants must possess things before they can learn to share in a few years. Adults can help teach possession by making statements or asking questions, such as “Here’s Adora’s dress,” or “Where are Will’s blocks?” Handling Stress and Special Problems in Infancy When parents and other caregivers meet babies’ needs, babies have surges of positive hormones. These babies signal, play, learn, and show affection. All babies, however, have some problems or causes The lack of correct and prompt care, consistency in the baby’s environment, and/or quality social interactions between a baby and his or her caregiver(s) are often the roots of many mental health problems.