Week 4

Infant
continued
Objectives

• Elaborate further on attachment

• Discuss environmental factors
• Familial
• Injury prevention
• Cultural
• Community
• Levels of Policy Making and
Health Legislation
• Available resources
 • Parents’ values and beliefs influence care and
development of infant
• Nursing interventions
• Works within parental framework, culture
• Examines own attitudes in working with families
Familial • Influencing behavior
Environment • Modeling behaviour
• Serving as consultant (listening)
• Expressing values and attitudes
• Remaining open to other approaches
Attachment and Bonding
• Serve and return
https://developingchild.harvard.edu/
resources/serve-return-interaction-s
hapes-brain-circuitry/

• Threats to a secure attachment

• Infant abuse
• Caregiver mental health
• High stress
• Medical complications
• Substance Use
ACEs
• Adverse Child Experiences study
https://childhub.org/en/child-protection-multimedia-resource
s/adverse-childhood-experiences-aces-video

• Modern ACEs:
- Covid-19
- Racism
- Community violence
Infants Removed from Parental Care

• Keeping families together is ideal

• Provide support
• Alternate care situations
• Repairing relationships
"It is never too late."
Impacts of Unintentional Injuries
• Childhood morbidity and mortality in Canada
• Leading causes of death in children 0-14 are:
vehicle related injuries
drowning
choking
• Unintentional injuries accounted for 86% of total injury costs
in Canada at $25.3 billion (PHO, 2023)
• Falls most costly

Childhood Fall Prevention Indicators for Public Health Practice in Ontario, 2023
 90%
of unintentional injuries
are preventable.
 Safety: falls, burns, Childproofing
choking Infant CPR

Seasonal injury prevention (winter and summer

safety)

Injuries and
Development Drugs/Medications, poisons

Toxin exposure: pesticides, lead, air pollution,

water pollution

Injuries: car accidents, car seats, heat exposure

 Toxins
• Infants are more vulnerable
• Oral habits (mouthing)
• Longer life span—potential for damage
Injury Prevention • Lead, pesticide exposure, medicine
Continued • Household products
• Indoor air pollutants: smoke, carbon
monoxide
Injury Prevention Continued

Car Seat Safety

• Rear facing until at least 1
year of age
• Newer seats can remain
rear facing longer until the
child is 23kg or 50 lbs
• Sits at a 45 degrees angle
Injury Prevention and Development

Immunity:
- Passive (given antibodies thru mother thru the placenta)
- Active (stimulated thru immunity system thru immunization)
- Herd (also known as community immunity)
Immunizations:
- Vaccines for Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, inactivated polio,
measles, mumps and rubella are the infant vaccines.
 • Power structure in the
cultural group
• Breastfeeding decisions
• Religion
Culture and • Medium for understanding
Ethnicity and working together
• Strategies for removing
communication barriers
• Culturally competent
nurses
 Social Determinants of Health:

Community and Work

Growing need for day care

Centre-based facility while parents at work

Community Nurse’s role includes:
Factors
Counselling parents on types and screening day care

Helping parents understand separation and expected

behaviours

Assisting parents to deal with separation behaviours

Levels of Policy Making and
Health
Legislation
• 18 month well toddler check
• Universal health care
• Canada Child Benefits
• National Housing Strategy
Nurse's role:
• Awareness and advocacy
• Participate in development of health
care policy
• Coordination of community resources
Poverty impacts infants
• Infant mortality rates higher
• Higher disease rates
• Delayed language development
Economic
Nursing interventions Developmental
• Assess family situation, infant status Impacts
• Identify community resources
• Family advocate in health care system
Resources
• Canadian Pediatric Society
• Infant and Early Mental Health Institute
- Comfort, Play and Teach
- Sick Kids – About Kids Health https://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/
- Circle of Security Parenting
https://www.circleofsecurityinternational.com/resources-for-parents/
• Parachute Canada
• Car Seat Clinics
• Public Health Agency of Canada
• Child Protection Agencies