Family Connections: making the bonds stronger Why Babies Need Parents Anne Sved Williams Medical Unit Head, Helen Mayo House Women’s and Children’s Hospital University of Adelaide: Clinical Senior Lecturer Psychiatry Anne.SvedWilliams@health.sa.gov.au So starting with the obvious: Care Care and protection… But then plenty of kids need protection FROM their parents… So actually we are talking about why babies : NEED GOOD (ENOUGH) PARENTS! NO SUCH THING AS A PERFECT PARENT So my thesis today… • What sort of parenting behaviours work well in the first 6 months of life • What is happening at the brain level • How do developmental pathways play out over a life time? • And what can we do to send infants in the best direction possible We need to learn more from our near neighbour Early parenting: rats and humans • High Arched back nursing and high licking and grooming – pups from low ABN low LG mothers who are cross-fostered to good mums for their first week of life handle stress better throughout their lives • And pass on high ABN high LG to offspring = epigenetics – modify methylation pathways • One week of a rat ?= 6 months of human life (very old rats = 4 yrs, avge rat = 3 yrs cf v old human = 100, avge human = 75 yrs so 1/25) Hindbrain Basic life function Midbrain: Emotions Memory Movement Forebrain: Thinking Hindbrain Basic life function Midbrain: Emotions Memory Movement Forebrain: Thinking INFANT MOTHER INFANT MOTHER INFANT MOTHER INFANT MOTHER INFANT MOTHER INFANT MOTHER INFANT MOTHER INFANT MOTHER INFANT Adrenal gland MOTHER INFANT Adrenal gland MOTHER So is it enough to have poor old goodenough mum doing it all? AND WHAT IF MUM ISNT GOOD ENOUGH? INFANT MOTHER INFANT MOTHER INFANT MOTHER INFANT MOTHER INFANT MOTHER INFANT MOTHER INFANT MOTHER INFANT Adrenal gland MOTHER Infant Mother Grandmother Maternal Reflectiveness Infant Mother Grandmother MATERNAL REFLECTIVENESS ENHANCED BY THERAPY Infant Mother Grandmother Education School, uni Good Parenting, nutrition Pregnancy $$$ Ovum Brilliant therapy Sper lbw bully drugs Brilliant therapy psychosis Very brilliant Mother-infant Therapy Education School, uni Good Parenting, nutrition Pregnancy $$$ Ovum Sper lbw bully drugs psychosis So how do we ensure good parenting in early years? • Stress and toxin free pregnancy… • Extended family support in first 12 months of life – back to the village, doula duty etc • Community supporting new mothers with financial aid (maternity leave) • Early identification of problems – “national perinatal depression initiative” – 30/06/13 …? • Therapeutic interventions Here is one of the culprits Interventions •Evidence base for all work •Theoretical frameworks: systems and attachment theories -Especially using Circle of Security or Watch,wait,wonder -REFLECTION! Learning more • Certificates of Perinatal and/or infant mental health @WCH • Grad diploma/Masters degrees in ditto at University of Melbourne or NSW Institute of Psychiatry • Helen Mayo House Annual Conferences Next time: Why parents need babies!