Infancy: before birth to two years – explained simply
From the book – Chapter 12: Child, Teen and Adult Mental Health
Infancy: before birth to two years
The brain grows faster in the first years of life than at any other time. By age three, a child’s brain has formed many more connections than adults have, and experience then prunes and strengthens them.
What infants need
Above all, babies need safe, responsive caregivers. When a baby cries and an adult comforts them, the child learns the world is safe and people can be trusted. Psychologist John Bowlby and later Mary Ainsworth described this bond as attachment.
| Attachment style | What it looks like in childhood | Possible adult pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Secure | Uses caregiver as a safe base; comforted when upset | Comfortable with closeness and independence |
| Anxious | Clingy, hard to soothe | Worry about being left, need for reassurance |
| Avoidant | Seems self-reliant, avoids closeness | Discomfort with intimacy, values distance |
| Disorganised | Confused, contradictory behaviour, often after fear or trauma | Difficulty trusting, strong swings in relationships |
Attachment patterns are tendencies, not fixed destinies. Warm relationships later in life, including good friendships and therapy, can create more security.
Signs of healthy early development
Babies typically smile in response to faces in the first two months, babble by six to nine months, say first words around one year, and combine words by age two. Children develop at different speeds, but if a child is not making eye contact, not responding to their name, loses skills they once had, or has very delayed speech, speak with a paediatrician early. Early help makes a big difference.
Read the full chapter – Chapter 12: Child, Teen and Adult Mental Health
Stories from real life
- The Boy Who Could Not Sit Still – Aryan, nine, studies in a busy school in Ahmedabad. He cannot stay in his seat, forgets his homework, blurts out answers and loses his things. His…
- Sofia and the Glow of the Screen – Sofia, fifteen, lives in Johannesburg. She was a cheerful girl, but since moving to a new school she spends hours online comparing herself to girls who…
- Neha Stops Saying Yes – Neha, thirty-eight, is a project manager in Bengaluru and mother of two. Her day starts at five and ends at midnight: office calls, school lunches, in-laws'…
- Mr Iyer Forgets the Way Home – Mr Iyer, seventy-eight, a retired teacher in Chennai, took the same walk to the temple every morning for forty years. Last month he lost his way…
More on this topic: Children, teenagers and parents – mental health at home and school
More questions
- What infants need?
- What are the signs of mental health at every age? Signs of healthy early development
- Early childhood (2 to 6 years) – explained simply
- Common challenges and what they mean – early childhood (2 to 6 years)
- Supportive parenting – early childhood (2 to 6 years)
- Understanding life transitions and resilience – mental health at every age
- What builds resilience?
- What is true: ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is most commonly diagnosed in…?
- Which is a warning sign of mental health issues in teenagers?
- What is true: mental health in older adults is affected by all EXCEPT…?
- Baby blues or postpartum depression?