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[The beginnings of the kiss in infants during the first year]
1Equipe de recherche sur le développement neuropsychologique du nourrisson Crèche municipale PMI, Paris.
Insights
Babies develop early kissing behaviors within the first year, starting with buccal activities and progressing to mouth-to-mouth interactions. These early forms evolve into more complex emotional exchanges with adults.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Infant Behavior
Context:
- The first year of life is a critical period for infant social and emotional development.
- Parent-infant interactions lay the foundation for communication and bonding.
Purpose:
- To analyze the emergence and evolution of early kissing behaviors in infants.
- To understand the developmental stages of infant oral exploration and social interaction.
Summary:
- Infants exhibit buccal activities in response to adult kisses early in the first year.
- Oral exploration, including gum and teeth use, leads to "bite-kiss" ambivalence.
- Around one year, infants show mouth-to-mouth interactions, precursors to kissing, combined with gaze and hugging.
Impact:
- Provides insights into the non-verbal communication development in infants.
- Highlights the role of oral exploration in early social bonding and emotional expression.
Abstract:
In the first year certain forms of "early beginnings of the kiss" can be recognized. Quite early on in this period various buccal activities are observed in response to kisses given to him. As for those kisses given by the baby, or so perceived by the adult, an important stage begins with progressive differentiations. One of these phases corresponds, when the pleasure of feeling and using the gums and teeth is felt, to an ambivalence of these preliminary shapes of kisses such as the "bite-kiss". The baby's early observed attraction to the adult's mouth can result, around the age of one year, in quick passing "mouth to mouth" observations which are not yet "kisses" but a kind of one to one correspondence. This new form combines with other modalities such as gaze and hugging which have already been tried as means of exchanging emotions and feelings. It is only several months later that it will have its definite diversified form and its own special meaning.