Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 4, 2026

A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect
05:04

A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect

Published on: September 22, 2023

Secure mother-infant attachment and the ABC programme: a case history

Christine Puckering1, Julie Webster, Philip Wilson

  • 1christine.puckering@glasgow.ac.uk

Community Practitioner : the Journal of the Community Practitioners' & Health Visitors' Association
|March 5, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Primary care clinicians, like health visitors, are crucial for identifying infant attachment needs. Early intervention through programs like the Attachment and Bio-behavioural Catch-up (ABC) can support families in the UK.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal mental health
  • Infant attachment
  • Early intervention programs

Background:

  • The Attachment and Bio-behavioural Catch-up (ABC) programme is an evidence-based intervention designed to support caregiver-infant interactions.
  • Early identification and intervention are critical for addressing potential attachment difficulties, which can impact long-term child development and family well-being.

Observation:

  • This case history details the first implementation of the ABC programme within the UK.
  • Primary care settings, particularly home visits by health visitors, provide unique opportunities for observing and assessing infant-behavioural dynamics and family interactions.
  • The collaborative relationship between a health visitor and a General Practitioner (GP) was instrumental in facilitating access to support for the described family.

Findings:

  • Health visitors' reflective observations and their understanding of attachment dynamics are key to identifying families requiring support.
  • The integration of the ABC programme into UK primary care highlights its potential for early identification and intervention in attachment.
  • Effective communication and shared understanding between primary care professionals (health visitors and GPs) are vital for timely family support.

Implications:

  • This case underscores the significant role of primary care clinicians, especially health visitors, in the early detection of attachment issues.
  • Implementing the ABC programme in the UK primary care system offers a valuable framework for supporting infant-parent attachment.
  • Further integration of such programmes can enhance perinatal mental health services and improve developmental outcomes for infants and families.

More Related Videos

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure07:56

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure

Published on: September 19, 2019

Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit11:50

Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Published on: January 7, 2020

Related Concept Videos

Attachment01:20

Attachment

Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that physical...
Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood03:34

Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood

Attachment is a long-standing connection or bond with others. While Attachment Theory was conceived in developmental psychology to describe infant-caregiver bonding, it's been extended into adulthood to include romantic relationships.
Relationship with Parents: Attachment01:28

Relationship with Parents: Attachment

Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...
Attachment Styles01:24

Attachment Styles

Jeffrey Simpson's attachment theory suggests that early caregiver relationships shape lasting patterns of behavior and emotional regulation, known as attachment styles. These patterns are organized along two key dimensions: self-esteem and interpersonal trust. The intersection of these dimensions produces four primary attachment styles that typically persist throughout life and significantly influence how individuals form and maintain relationships.Secure Attachment StyleIndividuals with a...
Hazan and Shaver's Attachment Styles01:28

Hazan and Shaver's Attachment Styles

Attachment theory, developed initially to explain infant–caregiver bonds, has been extended to illuminate patterns of intimacy in adult romantic relationships. Psychologists Cindy Hazan and Phillip Shaver proposed that the attachment styles observed in infancy form a framework for how individuals approach emotional closeness and conflict in adulthood. These attachment styles—secure, avoidant, and anxious—are linked to enduring patterns of behavior and emotional regulation in adult relationships.
Imprinting01:22

Imprinting

Behavioral imprinting is observed in some newborn animals and occurs when they develop strong and specific attachments to another animal (usually a parent) following brief, early-life exposures. Offspring imprint onto parents within a brief period after birth or hatching; this time window is called the critical period. Once imprinting occurs, the bond established between the parents and their offspring is usually long-lasting.