When little interventions can mean big things

Monika Kauppila

Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa, Finland

Abstract

Early interaction has a great influence on infants’ mental development. If there is a good enough interaction between infant and parents infant develops good self-regulation system with cognition, emotions and behavior. If instead mother feels great emotional stress during the early stages of pregnancy, it may also cause suffering to the fetus and later be seen at eightmonth- old infants’ cognitive and physical development. Both psychological and biological stress factors during pregnancy have an impact on developing fetuses behavior and infants’ neuropsychological characteristics and early stress may cause changes in infants’ nervous structure. And infant faces scary things and if a parent does not repeatedly and enough help him at emotional control, The child later develops ADHD. So it has been found that meeting and interaction with the infant have great importance. Unfortunately, there is no cure to ADHD but we can relieve the symptoms and sometimes even prevent it for example with small interventions at early infancy with managing parent-baby interaction. We must treat parents depression and at the same time wake them to understand the importance of interaction with their infant and make it stronger. I often meet parents who themselves suffer from ADHD and who have understood their condition only after their child has been given the same diagnosis. One should also remember that not all ADHD is caused by problems with interaction but can also be caused by genetic propensity. Parents, I meet often tell me that they have been badly treated in their own childhood and that nobody understood their ADHD and it may be the first time when someone understands their experience when they meet the nurse concerning treatment of their child and we can treat parents unnecessary feelings of shame and guilt at their own, separate meetings. The best way to treat both child and parent is to help both of them to come terms with their affection and to help them to regain their self-esteem. One must also support either daycare or school environment to understand the child. The requirement from a nurse with both sensitivity and good interaction skills. As the child gets proper help with his ADHD we can prevent later problems, for example, asocial behavior and possibly getting involved with crimes during youth and later on in life.

Biography

Monika Kauppila is a nurse specialized in children, youths- and adult psychiatry. She has worked with patients from ages 0-90 under her career (28 years) in Helsinki and Uusimaa medical and healthcare.