ABSTRACT
As the child metaphorically runs around the insecure circuit, there is extreme sympathetic arousal with increased heart rate and high levels of adrenaline and cortisol produced, which interferes with the child's hippocampal development. Infants who have long periods away from their mothers, or whose mothers are absent or have died, tend to develop a preoccupied attachment style, where they are constantly searching for their attachment figure. Infants with brusque or rejecting parents are likely to develop avoidant attachment styles. A mother who is addicted to recreational drugs or alcohol tends to be unable to respond to the needs of her child. Infants with inconsistent parents, who may be over-involved with the child on some occasions and dismissive at others, tend to develop an ambivalent attachment style. The infant's brain development is dynamic. The child's arousal centres will be heightened; she will be anxious, nervous, fretful, needy, and will want reassurance and attention from being picked up and held.
