Author(s): Alice Sterling Honig
Pediatricians are at the forefront for nurturing and reassuring new parents as to the physical and physiological normalcy of their infant’s development. They can also be powerful teachers to ensure that new parents, feeling sleep- deprived and puzzled by some baby behaviors, will create strong positive bonds with baby and nourish secure infant attachment to each parent. Pediatricians can help new parents to interpret infant gestures and body postures. Insightful decoding skills can ease new parents’ worries and reassure them that they are indeed responsive, attuned caregivers for their infant.