Behavioral Development During Infancy

During a child's first year she needs a warm and loving emotional environment in the home. Trust must be established in child's first year. That is, he learns to be a trusting individual who feels that her important needs - those of being cared for, fed, and comforted - will be met by other human beings, initially by her mother.

Holding and cuddling the infant, talking to her, and playing with her in an affectionate, relaxed way are important for her emotional growth. It shown that infants growing up in a environment lacking warm, loving, close physical and emotional contact with a mother often failed to thrive and may even die.