Clinical research during the pregnancy period is maximally beneficial for participants if it is positive, inclusive, and therapeutic. We describe our ongoing study of ethnically diverse, low-income pregnant women and fathers-to-be that leverages participants' benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) and promotes insight to counteract mental health…

The article addresses clinical, neurodevelopmental, and psychological experiences of pregnant parents to build the case for shifting therapeutic approaches to promote the earliest possible connections between parents and their infant. The article emphasizes the rationale for therapeutic interface with families in pregnancy as it relates to stress…

This article focuses on the fundamental role that early childhood educators (ECEs) play in the lives of infants and very young children and their families--underscoring the power of early interactions and relationships between infant--toddler and preschool educators and the children in their programs. The authors explore the ECEs' unique roles,…

The impact of COVID-19 stressors on young children and families may differ based on pre-pandemic factors, including family race/ethnicity, financial stability, and pre-existing child developmental or social-emotional difficulties. The authors draw from their work with families with toddlers and preschool-aged children to explore experiences of the…

Children from birth to 3 years old with complex medical needs often experience psychological issues, but there are limited services and supports to meet their needs. To bridge this gap, the authors created the Pediatric Birth to Three Clinic and Early Childhood Mental Health Program at the University of Minnesota. They describe the toxic stress…

Early care and education workers are increasingly recognizing their role in helping children who have experienced trauma, including extended parental separations due to incarceration. These children may have emotional reactions and behaviors that are particularly challenging in group settings. Moreover, early care and education professionals…

Infants are born primed to develop attachment relationships. However, when infants are hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit at birth, the stress and trauma associated with the highly specialized medical environment can threaten the development of a nurturing and secure caregiving relationship. Infant mental health is an evidence-based…

Poverty-associated chronic stress is a serious threat not only to a mother's mental health but also to maternal functioning. Recent neuroimaging studies suggest that a mother's brain undergoes dynamic changes to support her transition to parenthood, including better emotion regulation and heightened sensitivity to infants. However, we propose that…

This article will address immigration as a psychosocial event and will describe the different stages of the immigration process, when immigration becomes traumatic, and how each immigration stage can place vulnerable Latin American families at high risk for traumatic stress. It will explore pre-migration experiences and the factors bringing young…

Partnering With Parents, an infant mental health (IMH) intervention program at Starfish Family Services (SFS), is dedicated to improving social-emotional outcomes, supporting wellness, and strengthening relationships between infants and families. Families served by SFS experience a myriad of societal, community, and relational stressors that can…

Most of the time, infants start life with all of the bioneurological- sensory resources and social/emotional readiness to begin their journey toward learning how to relate to their closest family members and, eventually, people in their wider world. Attachment, bonding, security, and an emotional home with significant, consistent caregivers are…

Infants who begin their lives in intensive care are impacted physically and socioemotionally for many months and years to come. Likewise, stressful experiences of caring for a baby hospitalized in intensive care have an impact on primary caregivers, typically the baby's parents. Infant mental health (IMH) is an expanding, evidence-based field that…

This article describes how a Tulane early childhood mental health clinic provided trauma-informed care for a young, severely maltreated child victim of human trafficking. Effective treatment included two evidence-based therapies and psychiatric care over a span of 2 years. Therapists made decisions about intervention in response to fluctuations in…

This article describes the impact on young children of sudden and extended separation from a primary attachment figure. It recommends clinical intervention when the child's development and family functioning are negatively affected by the severity of the child's symptoms, and it highlights key treatment modalities derived from Child-Parent…

This article describes the conceptual approach to, and practical aspects of, the Infant-Parent Program's (IPP) decade-long experience providing early childhood mental health consultation in homeless shelters serving infants, young children, and their families. Illustrated by case examples, the authors discuss the characteristics of the…