Infant Observation is a valuable training experience for workers in child
and adolescent mental health, helping both to conceive the infantile
experience of the children under their care, and to understand the parents'
accounts of a child's history. It is an experience that gives trainees a unique
opportunity to observe the development of an infant, systematically and
practically from birth, in the child's natural setting, thus facilitating the
acquisition of a meaningful understanding of how human relationships
emerge and develop. Infant Observation gives the trainee a clear focus on
the baby and his family, whilst remaining as a participant observer, and
spontaneously encouraging problem-free talk.
