This book provides a comprehensive overview of the process of building healthy early social and emotional relationships with infants from a developmental perspective. The book synthesizes current research on the contextual influences of attachment, family relationships, and caregiving practices on social-emotional development. Chapters examine the processes of socioemotional development—particularly in relationships with parents, other family members, and peers—and identify areas for promoting healthy attachments and resilience, improving caregiving skills, and intervening in traumatic and stressful situations.  Chapters also present empirically-supported intervention and prevention programs focused on building early relationships from birth through three years of age. The book concludes with future directions for supporting infant mental health and its vital importance as a component of research, clinical and educational practice, and child and family policy.

Topics featured in this book include:

• The effect of prenatal and neonatal attachment on social and emotional development.
  
• The impact of primary relationships and early experiences in toddlerhood.
  
• Toddler autonomy and peer awareness in the context of families and child care.
  
• Supporting early social and emotional relationships through The Legacy for Children™ Intervention.
  
• How to build early relationship programming across various cultures.

Building Early Social and Emotional Relationships with Infants and Toddlers is a must-have reference for researchers, clinicians and professionals, and graduate students in the fields of infant mental health, developmental psychology, pediatrics, public health, family studies, and early childhood education.

Chapter 1. Integrating Research and Theory on Early Relationships to Guide Intervention and Prevention.- Chapter 2. Laying the Groundwork for Social and Emotional Development: Prenatal Attachment, Childbirth Experiences, and Neonatal Attachment.- Chapter 3. Building the Foundation in Early Infancy, 1 to 6 Months.- Chapter 4. Deepening Connections in Later Infancy: 6 to 12 Months.- Chapter 5. The Impact of Primary Relationships and Early Experiences in Toddlerhood: 12 to 18 Months.- Chapter 6. Middle Toddlerhood: Autonomy and Peer Awareness in the Context of Families and Child Care.- Chapter 7. Terrific Twos: Promoting Toddlers’ Competencies in the Context of Important Relationships.- Chapter 8. Supporting Early Social and Emotional Relationships through a Public Health Parenting Program: The Legacy for Children™ Intervention.- Chapter 9. Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up.- Chapter 10. The Circle of Security Intervention: Building Early Attachment Security.- Chapter 11. Enhancing Early Care Provider’s Capacity for Building Early Relationships with Families and their Children: Touchpoints Informed-Practice.- Chapter 12. Tulsa Children’s Project: Applying Evidence-Based Interventions in Early Childhood Settings.- Chapter 13. Building Early Relationship Programming Across Cultures.- Chapter 14. Promoting Early Relationships in Infancy and Early Parenthood: Integrating Social and Emotional Policy, Practice, and Research.