health
New parents
How does the corona period affect babies born into it?
Pregnancy stress, masked faces, stranger anxiety and more - even if they do not remember it, babies are still experiencing the corona period.
How will this affect them later in life?
Tags
parenthood
Babies
Infant development
Corona
Daniel Sarantsky, in collaboration with JAMA
Saturday, 09 October 2021, 23:36
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You are going through a difficult period, mothers in the Corona period.
Their child in a challenging time, one that is characterized by social distance, stress at a certain level and people with masks on their faces.
Even if life has more or less returned to normal with slight changes, the impact of the corona is still evident in so many areas of your life.
You may not have had the birth experience you fantasized about, you may not have given birth with all the attendants you asked for, and you may also have experienced stress during pregnancy (yes get vaccinated? No get vaccinated?) And babies, after all, feel and respond to stress already in the womb.
Even your maternity leave may not look exactly as you planned, and you are less inclined to go with the baby to closed places.
More on Walla!
From a flowing baby to a suspicious toddler: Why has your child changed and how should you respond to it?
To the full article
Shlomit Schuster, an infant development specialist, family counselor and parent counselor, details some of the notable effects of the Corona period on infants born into it and offers creative solutions:
How will babies born into the corona period be affected? Pregnant woman wears mask on abdomen (Photo: ShutterStock, fizkes)
Critical development of social abilities
Emotional-
social
development is a cornerstone in everything related to development and learning, with an important part of it being the reading of facial expressions.
When outside the home, indoors, I will give with a mask and do not respond to the baby he may interpret this as a lack of response on your part and react with anxiety, stress and helplessness.
Excessive stranger anxiety
Many babies find it very difficult to meet strangers and especially in crowded places - malls or family meals, due to the social distance that you probably take, to some extent, on a daily basis.
The baby is used to being at home and may react reluctantly even to family members who have not seen for a long time due to the situation.
Also, if you have family members at risk who prefer not to come in contact with the baby, he may just not know them.
The effect of your stress on the baby The
stress may accompany you, as mentioned, already from pregnancy and slip into life with the baby, and he will surely feel it.
How can you get a baby to make friends with the mask?
Let the baby play with the mask to touch and feel.
Babies learn through the senses: touch, sight, hearing, taste and smell, and these allow them to explore the mask themselves, make friends with it - of course under supervision, and this will become more familiar and less threatening.
When you give with a mask, it is recommended to exaggerate the facial expressions a little, so that the baby will have an easier time understanding them.
Mother with baby swaddle mask (Photo: ShutterStock, Alexandr Grant)
Play 'Coco' games with the mask
- The baby's ability to understand that what he does not see still exists will develop between the age of six months and eight months and can be practiced in a nice way through the mask. In Coco Games, when you disappear for a moment from sight and return, you help him strengthen the understanding that mother always returns even when she disappears for a moment.
Exaggerate with a smile and facial expressions
- When you smile, smile excessively behind the mask and exaggerate with your facial expressions so that the baby will be easy to read and understand with you.
Wear the mask at home
- it is recommended to wear it already at home, before going out. Babies will get better stressful situations if they happen at home, in their safe, familiar and protected environment.
Put the emotions in order - give names and words to the emotion - I am sad, I am happy, etc. This is always important, and even more important when not seeing the facial expressions under the mask.
Put on a bear mask
- Take your favorite bear or doll with the baby and put the mask on them.
This will give him a sense of control.
Practice talking with a mask - your voice changes under the mask, so talk to the baby in a louder and clearer voice.
And bet on the sunglasses
- outside, if possible, remove the sunglasses.
They hide your eyes, and then, with a mask, it will not at all allow the baby to understand you and see your facial expressions.
Let the baby make friends with the mask.
Bear with a mask (Photo: ShutterStock, Anna Koberska)
How will you deal with the baby's early stranger anxiety during this period?
Proceed slowly
- try not to stress the baby to meet new people, not to let someone stranger pick him up before he has given permission to reach out, make eye contact or look, etc.
Reduce the amount of separations as much as possible
- you must understand that the baby is going through a significant and somewhat stressful stage in development.
Do not ignore or dismiss the feeling of fear and do not rush to label your baby as cowardly or shy.
Remember that next to you is always the safest, so give him a chance to meet new people when he is with you.
For example, hold it in your hands when you meet new people, allow it to hold a familiar object in such situations and more.
What other important emphases are there for this period?
Do not avoid medical tests if necessary
- leave the house with the baby for necessary tests and vaccinations. Do not be afraid, it is much more important than anything.
Maintain an agenda and routine
- it is very worthwhile to maintain a routine inside the house that gives a lot of confidence and has enough time of motor activity, variety and interest for the baby.
Have a lot of skin to skin with the Newborn
- make sure you get as much body-to-body contact as possible with a newborn baby. It is soothing, connecting and that is exactly what he needs now, most of all - a deep and safe touch.
The Jama app was established with the aim of addressing mothers of babies from birth to age three, and centralizing for them content, activities, tips from experts and videos that will accompany them throughout this challenging period.
All the content in the app "grows" together with the baby and is precisely adapted to its developmental stages, so that the mothers receive only what is relevant to them and interests them at any given moment.
The Jama app is the place for mothers in Israel to meet and get to know other mothers around them, and create new and exciting friendships in the fascinating journey.
Search us on Google: https://app.jama.co.il/
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