The Impact of the Caregiver on the Developing Selfhood of Infants and Toddlers

Just as infants are genetically programmed to root for sustenance, so are they

genetically driven to explore. This genetic drive to explore supports the growth and

mylineation of neural networks. While the infant is exploring the eyes, ears, nose,

tongue, and skin are receiving incoming sensory sensation. This sensory input is

interpreted by the brain and these interpretations fuel the development of neural

networks which lay the foundation and provide the filter through which all future

sensory input is processed. Caregivers have a profound effect on how these neural

networks are formed consequently affecting how infants and toddlers feel about

themselves and the world.

It is not uncommon to hear caregivers of toddlers lamenting how active the

toddler is and that he seems to be “into everything”. Often unrealized by the mother

is the fact that even before birth her toddler wason the move and exploring-already

developing a sense of self. Experiments by Dr. Alfred Tomatis, using a fiber optic

camera to observe a 5 month old fetus showed that the fetus would move a specific

muscle in the arm or leg for example when it hears a specific phoneme. The

particular muscle varies in each fetus studied, but each time the same phoneme is

sounded, the same muscle will move. This connection between muscle movement

and sensory input suggests that movement plays a vital role in learning and allows the

fetus to begin the process of learning language in utero (Hannaford, 1995). Most of us

do not have the ability to monitor our infants responses in utero, but we can observe

the responses of an infant when he hears the caregivers voice. Infants will often start
moving their arms and legs, steadying their gaze upon the caregiver, and attempting

to imitate facial expressions or verbalizations to this sensory input.

As sensory input is received it supports development of neural networks in

corresponding brain areas. These early neural networks lay the foundation for

interpretation of all future incoming stimuli by creating templates (Perry,2000). These

templates are developed sequentially in the brain and are use dependent. In short,

consistent experiences reinforce neuronal development and the brain will reflect the

world in which it has been developed. “If that world is characterized by threat,

chaos, unpredictability, fear and trauma, the brain will reflect that by altering the

development of the neural systems involved in the stress and fear response”(Perry,

2000, p.3).

Research indicates that “although functional capabilities of the mature brain

develop throughout life, the vast majority of critical structural and functional

organization takes place in childhood. Indeed, by the age of three the brain has

reached 90% of adult size” (Perry, 2000 pg. 14). Consequently, seemingly benign

events can inspire the fight or flight response in an individual who has had a previous

threatening or dangerous experience with that stimuli. Intermittent or ongoing stimuli

that results in consistent fight or flight responses can activate neural pathways that

support infants and toddlers maladaptive persistence in the fear state. (Perry &

Marcellus, 1997) Also, this maladaptive persistence can become automatic occurring

without thought (Whitehead, 2006). This activation causes the child to be hyper

vigilant, and who view and respond to new, unfamiliar stimuli as threatening (Perry,

2000). For example, for most infants, seeing the approaching caregiver and bottle
would create, and reinforce neural networks, templates that would associate the site

of a caregiver and bottle with positive memories. However, if when the mother

reaches the infant with a bottle, she smacks him, the sensory input will then be

associated as a threat and the typical neural pathway is not formed , but rather an

alternative neural pathway is formed which produces a fear response at the sight of a

bottle and the caregiver. If reinforced this fear response can occur automatically

when presented with stimuli that is interpreted as a threat.

This is not to say that normal stress has negative effects. “Normal amounts of

stress can help children to develop ways of coping with life in general. However,

chronic stress sensitizes neural pathways and overdevelops the regions of the brain

that deal with anxiety and fear responses. …The chronic stimulation of fear responses

hinders the stimulation of parts of the brain involved in more complex thought and

this effects learning.” (Whitehead, 2006, p.26) Depending upon the amount of

reinforcement that the neural pathway has received remediation can be quite

difficult. This brings us to the role of the caregiver in supporting the infant’s

development of self.

As seen in the previous example, the caregiver played the pivotal role in how

the infant’s neural networks were formed. It is essential that caregivers realize this

and consistently provide stimuli that support the developing self of the infant in

seeing the world as a warm, trustworthy place. The caregiver who is available, who

warmly responds to the infants needs, who reinforces the infants explorations with

love and manageable challenges creates an optimal learning environment.

Fortunately, as with the infant nature has also prepared adults to care for infants.
“Almost all the adult activities adults engage inare swift, spontaneous, automatic,

and unpremeditated. The very same actions that nurture babies give them the kinds

of information they need.” (Gopnick, Meltzkoff, and Kuhl, pg. 202). Scientific

research has confirmed that we should keeping doing what we naturally do with

babies- talking, playing, smiling, making funny faces, paying attention, and loving .
 References

Gupnik, A., Meltzoff, A.N., and Kuhl, P.K. (1999). The scientist in the crib; What early

learning tells us about the mind. New York, NY. Harper Collins.

Hannaford, C., (1995). Smart moves: Why learning is not all in your head. Atlanta,

Georgia. Great Ocean Publishers

Perry, B. D. (2000). Brain structure and function 1: Basics of organization. Retrieved

January 30, 2009 from

www.childhoodtrauma.org/print/print.asp?REF=/CTAMATERIALS/brain_I.asp

Perry, B.D. (2000) Traumatized children: How childhood trauma influences brain

development. The Journal of the California Alliance for the Mentally Ill 11:1,

48-51. Retrieved January 30, 2009 from

http://www.childhoodtrauma.org/ctamaterials/trau_CAMI.asp

Perry, B.D. and Marcellus, J. E. (1997). The impact of abuse and neglect on the

developing brain. Colleagues for Children. 7:14. Retrieved January 30, 2009

from http://www.childtrauma.org/ctamaterials/AbuseBrain.asp