ABSTRACT
Newborn babies are no longer seen as passive recipients of stimuli but rather as highly sophisticated, complex beings. The relationship between an infant and their parents is a two-way interaction, and parents need to spend time watching their baby and observing her signals in order to understand the individual baby’s responses to them and to the environment. If babies habitually encounter inappropriate responses to their behaviour, they will build up a sense of insecurity and unpredictability about their world and carers. Babies can turn to a sound, and they can track a moving object with their eyes and head. They show a preference for certain patterns, especially contrasts between dark and light, and they like the shape of the human face most of all. All of the baby’s behaviour has to be understood in context of behavioural states. A health professional who is aware of the baby’s needs and capacities can enhance caregiver’s responsiveness and alertness to the baby’s signals.
