Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : August 27, 2018 2:40 PM IST
Is gripe water good for babies. © Shutterstock
Ask any mother, whether stay-at-home or working mom and you will know that the sight of a crying howling baby while leaving the little one s side isn t a pleasant sight to see. Even if the mother has to leave the little one to fetch a feeding bottle from the kitchen sink it becomes difficult. For working mothers it is a challenge of the highest order, to leave the child at home and head to work. For babies, especially between six months to a year it is traumatic to see the mother leave then even to do menial household chores. It is not unnatural for babies to cry and throw tantrums when you leave them behind. It kind of inflicts a trauma or causes anxiety which is termed as separation anxiety. This kind of anxiety grips a baby when the mother or the primary caregiver has to separate albeit for a brief moment.
Even if you feel that it is disheartening to see your little one cry as you leave, especially working mothers, know that it is a healthy sign of development too. Dr Geetanjali Shah, paediatrician Supraja Foundation and Ashvini IVF Center, Mumbai says that separation anxiety starts in babies at around six months of age and stays till a little more than two years. It settles on its own when the baby is able to get a control over this anxiety and settles with the cycle of absence-presence of the mother or the caregiver.
Why is it good?
Separation anxiety in babies stems due to insecurity and a need for warmth, love and care. Babies have strong instincts that attune them about their mother s behaviour and actions. So even with the best efforts there can be times when it s difficult for the baby to cope with the trauma and anxiety of separation from the mother. A baby nurses this fear or trauma of separation from the mother due to the insecurity or fear of lack of the basic necessities like food, water, sleep and care in the absence of the mother, says Dr Shah.
Dr Shah also says that this is a basic instinct in babies which indicates your little one is developing both physically and mentally. In fact lack of separation anxiety should make you worry. This can often mean that your baby is not catching up with the mental milestones with age or is not bothered about the environment around. This can also mean that there is an underlying mental condition your baby may suffer from, like autism or have delayed social responses, says Dr Shah. This indicates that your baby isn t developing right at least when it comes to his mental growth. So when you see the signs that your baby is agitated and cranky after sensing that you are about to leave, embrace your child. Do remember that separation anxiety also means that you are needed and mean the most to your child.
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