A–Z Glossary

Stranger anxiety

Stranger distress is a baby's strong reaction to unfamiliar people or environments as the baby learns to recognize familiar caregivers.

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When babies recognize faces

When babies recognize faces

Recognition Starts Before It Looks Obvious When caregivers ask when babies recognize faces, they are often asking several related questions at once. Can a newborn see a face? Can a baby tell one person from another? Does the baby know who is safe, familiar, or emotionally important? These abilities overlap, but they mature at different […]

Attachment behavior in babies

Attachment behavior in babies

What attachment behavior means Attachment behavior is the infant’s biologically rooted way of maintaining access to a familiar protective caregiver. In practice, it is not a single behavior but a flexible system: the baby may cry to summon help, quiet when held, track a caregiver with the eyes, reach, cling, crawl after the caregiver, or […]

Stranger anxiety in babies explained

Stranger anxiety in babies explained

What stranger anxiety is Stranger anxiety is an infant’s wary, avoidant, or distressed response to unfamiliar people. It may look like crying when someone new enters the room, turning away from a visiting relative, clinging tightly to a parent, refusing to be held by a babysitter, or watching a stranger with a still, serious expression. […]

Baby reaction to routine changes

Baby reaction to routine changes

Why routine changes can feel so big to babies Babies rely on repetition to make sense of the world. Feeding, sleeping, being held, and hearing familiar voices are all part of early pattern recognition, and those patterns help organize a baby’s developing nervous system. When a routine shifts, the baby may not understand the reason, […]

Why babies resist changes

Why babies resist changes

Attachment makes change feel risky For a baby, the world is still small and highly dependent on proximity to a trusted adult. The caregiver-baby relationship is not just about comfort; it is the infant’s main source of safety, co-regulation, and meaning. When that familiar person steps away, hands the baby to someone new, or changes […]