In this episode, Athena Cordero sits down with Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Behavioral Health Counselor Supervisor, Lina Myrvold, to unpack what infant mental health really means and why it matters far earlier than most people realize. Lina breaks down core misconceptions about babies (“they won’t remember,” “quiet means fine”), explains how attachment forms from birth, and describes how caregivers’ own histories and emotions shape infant development. She then walks listeners through early behavioral cues, co-regulation, and how infants communicate long before words.

The episode also spotlights Strong Start, a multidisciplinary early-intervention protocol developed through CAHELP to identify and support infants ages 0–4 months, particularly those who have experienced early adversity. Lina shares how Strong Start was created, how it works, and how early support can change a child’s lifelong developmental trajectory. The conversation closes with practical guidance for caregivers, powerful reflections on early attachment, and a reminder that nurturing mental health truly begins at the very beginning of life.

Highlights

• Lina explains what infant mental health is: supporting healthy development through early relationships, attachment, and caregiver responsiveness.
• Common misconceptions debunked, including the beliefs that babies “don’t know,” “won’t remember,” or “are fine if they’re quiet.”
• How early attachment forms through cry-response patterns, caregiver consistency, and co-regulation.
• The role of caregiver mental health, trauma history, anxiety, and previous loss, and how these shape infant responses.
• Early cues to watch for: gaze seeking, gaze aversion, flailing or dysregulated movements, ability to bring hands to midline, types of crying, and engagement signals.
• How adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impact long-term outcomes and how positive experiences can counteract them.
• The creation of the Strong Start program and how rapid, multidisciplinary intervention supports infants in foster or kinship care.
• The importance of clinicians modeling attachment-based interaction for caregivers in real time.
• Success stories showing improved attachment, regulation, and long-term stability for Strong Start participants.

Takeaways

• Babies communicate from birth — through body language, cry patterns, gaze, and movement — and caregivers must learn to read these cues.
• A “quiet baby” may be securely attached or may have learned that crying doesn’t lead to their needs being met.
• Co-regulation matters: calm caregivers calm babies; dysregulated caregivers unintentionally pass along distress.
• Early intervention (0–4 months) can dramatically shift developmental trajectories, especially for infants with early adversity.
• Caregivers’ own histories, mental health, and stress influence bonding  awareness and support can break generational patterns.
• One secure attachment relationship in early childhood can reshape a child’s lifelong capacity to connect and thrive.
• Strong Start shows how coordinated supports across mental health, OT, speech, and developmental specialists make a measurable difference.
• Early connections build the foundation for emotional regulation, learning, relationships, and long-term well-being.

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