By Dana Hessling-Goetz August 22, 2007
SPECIAL TO THE TELEGRAM & GAZETTE
LEICESTER – Something beautiful is given to a baby.
That beauty is reinforced in all the little ways of nurturing him or her every day. Seemingly mundane routines such as feeding, holding, making eye contact and talking to a baby grow into that first love relationship centered on trust.
Bonding takes place prior to birth but attachment happens afterward.
From the moment a baby is born it is dependent on its principal caregiver, usually its mother, to nurture that attachment.
How the mother responds to the needs of the vulnerable infant is the primary determinant of the baby's attachment pattern, according to the U.S. Health and Human Services report on “Infant Attachment: What We Know Now.”
Responding appropriately, as new parents quickly learn, is a challenge. Is he or she hungry? Thirsty, tired, cranky, all of the above? Colicky? Allergic? Teething? Is the baby on a different sleep cycle than the rest of the house? Does the diaper need to be changed?
Interpreting the baby’s cues may not always be accurate but its sense of security will develop through patterns of response and routines.
The first three years, psychologists have agreed, are critical to the process.
Psychoanalyst John Bowlby introduced Attachment Theory in 1958. He defined it as an “enduring emotional bond characterized by a tendency to seek and maintain closeness to a specific figure, particularly during stressful situations.”
Adoptive parents who adopt children from other countries, which may have minimally educated staff, resources and funds, such as in China or Russia, are finding each other on the Internet.
Because of the limitations, caretakers and/or staff often cannot devote individual attention to babies, and attachment issues may arise.
As a result, new parents of these adoptees share similar testimonial stories. But very few know about this disorder until they articulate problems to their physicians.
Learning and understanding the disorder is a clinical condition that requires intervention skills.
Reducing the risk factors associated with this disorder include actively engaging with your baby by smiling at them, talking, making eye contact and using those moments during feedings, bathing, and changing to nurture and encourage the pathways to trust.
The same U.S. Health and Human Services report claimed that 65 percent of babies, in equal proportion of girls and boys, are securely attached.
But what about the other 35 percent? Often, these are children who are referred to health care and social workers. Is there anything to be learned from them?
In her doctoral findings in Social Work Public Policy, Teresa Rafferty of Worcester wrote “Whose Children Are These?” which dealt with the profound complexities of attachment and multiple placements within the social service system, how an individual is affected by it, and how disorders impact society.
From that initial work, Ms. Rafferty wanted to create the right conditions for newborns and babies who would otherwise be at risk. That was the vision behind “Baby’s Breath,” a model home for the most vulnerable, displaced infants and toddlers.
The home will soon be open in Leicester, but help is still needed. (See below for volunteer and donation opportunities.)
Preventing detachment disorder (Reactive Attachment Disorder, a clinical diagnosis defined by the American Psychiatric Association) is the core objective. Its mission is not just to make a difference but to be the difference.
The target population for these services will be children, including siblings, from birth to 3 years old. Preventing attachment disorder in newborns and infants up to the age of 6 months brought to the Baby’s Breath home will be the goal. Older children brought in, from age 6 months to 3 years, will most likely already have symptoms of the disorder, and will benefit from the care found at Baby’s Breath.
“There are clinical advantages to having a home like Baby’s Breath for at-risk babies,” Ms. Rafferty said. “We can better manage underlying resistances, such as providing a secure location for biological parents attending supervised court-ordered visits, transportation issues, and make daily observations by trained workers.”
The family’s history, cultural background, as well as other important contributing factors will be considered.
Referrals will come from the Massachusetts Department of Social Services. A master’s level clinician will work out a service plan with DSS – an assessment of needs with recommendations and plans for action – for the baby.
The Massachusetts Department of Social Services will be the first agency nationwide to undertake such an innovative and preventative program of this nature.
“Every seven days Baby’s Breath will provide reports to the Department of Social Services on daily observations, identification of needs and recommendations of outcome,” Ms. Rafferty said.
DSS workers along with Baby’s Breath staff will share information surrounding the baby/toddler. This information will be presented at any court hearings to help expedite decisions, with the intent of getting positive results. Baby’s Breath will welcome back a child for any reason and these children will have first priority, thereby minimizing the distress on the child.
Social service workers and other state agencies already involved with families will identify which babies are at risk. For example, there may be prenatal concerns, such as an HIV-positive mother or an addiction.
Mental illness, criminal activity, economic or socio-pathological conditions can make a home unsafe for a newborn.
A baby may also be at risk if there is a family history of prior children that have been placed in foster care, or needing other types of care and/or protective services.
“Caregivers provide the consistency and predictability,” Ms. Rafferty said. “The strongest component of Baby’s Breath is that the children will not be exposed to multiple foster care placements. They will bypass an overburdened system, and we will be able to identify plans for expedited outcomes.”
Msgr. Edmond T. Tinsley P.A. and the Sisters of Divine Mercy at the Nazareth Home in Leicester met with Teresa and board members offered space on the Nazareth Home property to house Baby’s Breath.
A building is now being renovated under the direction of the Builders Association of Central Massachusetts.
Home Aid, the charitable arm of the Builders Association, led by Guy Webb, is organizing local contractors who are willing to donate hours of labor, and/or materials during the construction.
When completed, the home will provide a comfortable, loving atmosphere for babies, including baby rooms, toddler rooms, an emergency intake room, counseling room, playroom, visitation room, early intervention room, conference room, laundry room, family room, and a child-safe kitchen.
There will be six cribs available with another two cribs reserved for emergencies.
The next step would be to enlist the community to raise money for start-up costs. And there are several ways people may contribute:
- direct donation;
- adopt-a-room (in memory of a loved one or as a benefactor);
- host a fundraising event or
- in-kind donations.
Baby’s Breath is a nonprofit organization and its board of directors includes members of the religious community, attorneys, business owners, doctors, social workers, executive directors of local agencies and the banking industry.
We’re all committed to providing a loving, stable home for these displaced infants, Ms. Rafferty said.
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