Posted on 11/10/2006 9:45:12 PM PST by Coleus
Parents do a lot of guessing on what could be troubling a fussy baby. If he's crying, he may be hungry or tired. But could he be depressed? Any parent knows that young children have to be protected from a mind-boggling number of risks, but many will be surprised to learn that infant depression could be one of them. "Babies can be depressed," said Dr. Jess Shatkin, director of education and training at New York University's Child Study Center. "It's not a terribly common phenomenon. We think maybe one in 40 or so — but it can certainly happen."
Although it's not very common, there are two telltale signs of baby depression, experts say. First, depressed babies do not exhibit a lot of emotion. Second, depressed babies may have trouble eating or sleeping, and may be irritable. In Britain, a 4-year-old girl recently made news when her doctor said her depression was so serious, she may need antidepressants to treat it. Stateside, new research on the brain has thrust infant mental health into the spotlight, but a young child's life seems so easy. How does a baby get the blues? "Children can be raised in all sorts of environments, very loving, nurturing and focused environments and environments that can be neglectful for the child or even damaging," Shatkin said.
Research has long confirmed that genetics and brain chemistry play critical roles in the emotional health of babies and young children, but doctors stress that the mental health of the parent or caregiver also has a critical impact. "The risk of a child being depressed or having a behavior disorder or an anxiety disorder, if that child has a depressed parent, is about three times that in the general population," Shatkin said. No matter what the cause, depression in babies can be treated and because young children are often highly resilient, intervening early can dramatically improve the emotional life of the entire family. "It's not like you're going to put the 10-month-old on the couch and do psychotherapy with them, but you work with the family caregivers to try to get them to understand what's going on with their child and to work with them on becoming more responsive and better parents," Shatkin said.
If you suspect your baby is depressed, see your pediatrician. Parents should think of their child's mental and emotional health as critical as physical health. For more information on infant mental health, please visit www.zerotothree.org .
Health Experts Warn of Antidepressant Dangers for Children, Teens
Yes, emotional disturbances can indeed make a baby.
Did the girl make news or did the doctor?
If I had to hang around in a dirty diaper I'd be kinda bummed too. Some depression is common sense.
The only ones not consumed with anxiety over day to day existence are those with plentiful grants to publish psychoanalytical tripe.
I believe there's a condition called "failure to thrive" that's displayed by poor babies who have no one to love them--in an orphanage, say--and don't get held, talked to, tickled, cooed at, admired, kissed, played with, and just touched enough. They become depressed and don't gain weight. Eventually they die.
So horrible to think of any babies being unloved! God save them.
Oh, geez! Drug the babies so they don't cry! Gawd, how did anyone survive before drug manufactureres came along?
I know drugs can be a lifesaver for those who REALLY need them, but come on! A little discomfort and suffering is part of the human condition. Otherwise we'd all be zombies!
"I believe there's a condition called "failure to thrive" that's displayed by poor babies who have no one to love them--in an orphanage, say--and don't get held, talked to, tickled, cooed at, admired, kissed, played with, and just touched enough. They become depressed and don't gain weight. Eventually they die."
Or...if they survive they suffer from detachment disorder. They are unable to form emotional bonds with anyone.
When they grow up they are deeply disturbed individuals - and often dangerous.
But it will be. The newest malady to subjectively diagnose and medicate for.
I've heard of this but I don't think that's what the article is talking about.
Doctors and remedies didn't just pop into existence in the 20th century.
I know drugs aren't a 20th century thing. I'm just saying it's normal too feel depression, grief, sadness, anger, frustration....etc. But we aren't supposed to express our feelings anymore. We're supposed to "grow up" and be "civilized". I just don't think it's right to run to the doctor every time you feel bad. Feeling bad is normal, through disappointment or grief. Why aren't people just allowed to "feel" anymore? I've had times of intense grief, times when I feel like I don't want to go on. But through support and self talk, I slowly trudge through the bad stuff....and I've always made it through.....without drugs.
Yeah, except that, first it's ADD, then ADHD, then it's autism; then it's Aspergers, now it's depression, next year it's __________ (fill in the blank).
My prescription for taking care of kids problems is too keep them so busy with physical activity that they have no choice but fall into bed from exhaustion at the end of the day.
My son is a pleasure to be around.... as long as he's physically active. If he can't burn it off with activity he gets so miserable to be around that I've felt like , well... never mind.
I don't doubt for a minute that if he had spent his growing up years sitting inactive behind a desk all day, he'd have been diagnosed as ADD/ADHD and had the school INSISTING on putting him on Ritalin.
Good luck using that recipe to teach him math, reading, spelling, etc. Things that are inherently desk activities.
Amen! I know a couple of high-spirited NORMAL kids who were advised by teachers to be tested for ADD. These are normal, bright, healthy kids....not a damn thing wrong with them except they had more energy and creativity than some dumb teacher can handle. If a child had a REAL problem, wouldn't the PARENT be the first to know? I'm glad you aren't so quick to buy into the ADD thing.....chances are you have an exceptionally bright child. Let him be who the good Lord made him to be!
There's a great difference between feeling deep grief, as you and many other people have done, and experiencing major depressive disorder. When you're having intense grief you feel sad, perhaps may even feel you want to die to end the pain. But when you're profoundly depressed you can hardly move. You may look at the same thing all day because you don't have the energy to move your eyes. You can't talk about your feelings because you can't talk. You may not have objective feelings of sadness. It's an entirely different thing. What you felt is normal and appropriate in response to real heartbreak, while a major depression that requires medication is an illness no different than a disease that strikes the liver or kidneys or eyes.
I remember after Ceausescu was executed and they opened up all those Romanian orphanages and the pitiful state those little kids were in. The ones that were adopted to people in the States, I wonder how they turned out?
It makes sense to me that a child needs real love, otherwise how do they get a sense of self-worth? Early programming. But it is infininitely complicated. Some kids who had none of that turn out okay, while some who seemingly had all that turn out terrible. Bloodlines, upbringing, the Grace of God. The Test.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.