WHAT IS INFANT MENTAL HEALTH?

Selma Fraiberg and her colleagues in Michigan coined the phrase infant mental health in the late 1960s.It is de?ned as the social,emo-
tional,and cognitive well-being ofa baby who is under three years of age,within the context ofa caregiving relationship (Fraiberg,1980).
Fraiberg understood that early deprivation affected both development and behavior in infancy and reminded us that an infantis capacity for
love and for learning begins in those early years. She had been trained in a psychodynamic approach to mental health treatment for adults
and children,which she adapted for work with parents and young children from birth to three.
Fraiberg was attuned to the power and importance ofrelationships and understood that how a parent cares for a very young child has a
significant impact on the emotional health ofthat child. She also understood that parental history and past relationship experiences
in?uence the development ofrelationships between parents and young children. Fraiberg referred to this new knowledge and understanding
about infants and parents as ia treasure that should be returned tobabies and their families as a gift from sciencei(1980,p.3).She
spent the remainder ofher career returning that gift through training and a carefully crafted approach called infant mental health service
(Weatherston,2000).
Four questions are ofgreat signi?cance to the scope ofinfant mental health practice and to the training needs ofinfant mental health
specialists: What about the baby? What about the parents who care forthe baby? What about their early developing relationship and the context for early care? What about the practitioner? These questions shape the framework for infant mental health practice and training (Weatherston,2001).