Monday, June 04, 2007

Infant Amnesia

Someone I know turned me onto this article....very interesting.....
Miss, make sure you read this.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2007-02/17/content_811598.htm

10 comments:

Unknown said...

hmmm, interesting, P. I wonder if the forgetting of memories includes emotional ones such as the trauma of being removed from your foster home/country, or more positively, someone who comforted them during a time of upheaval. That would be relevant to international adoption and I sure hope that, if ds DOES remember the trauma, he also remembers that I cried with him and for him.....

On the bright side, memories remembered or not remembered, he sure is a bright, sunny guy now :)

Unknown said...

Hmmm, interesting, P. I worry for my lil guy, being nine months old before coming home with us...he seems to be doing so well and he's so happy and cheerful, but I wonder what his memories are....

Also, if he doesn't have the actual "memories" of Guatemala, it will be doubly important for us to expose him to as many things Guatemalan as we can......

Good article, P; good info to have :)

petunia said...

tishslp,

I do think emotions stay with a child and help form them. I have done a lot of reading about learning "in the womb" and actually did a paper on it in college. Children can hear and learn in the womb I know, but what they remember now is questionable. I know the mother's voice is more soothing than another voice but it's familiar (to a certain extent - whatever they heard over the loud wooshing of the heart)...but that doesn't mean other voices are not soothing to them. Once a child is born - trauma can affect their brains slightly because of chemicals released during some stress (like injury or abuse). But, not all stress is bad and stress of leaving one place (like a foriegn adoption) and going to another does not have to have a pshychological impact that is negative.

I think it's great to study about their country and really give them a background of their culture. You and your son are blessed to have eachother!

Unknown said...

LOL, P! I replied twice to this post forgetting the second time that I had already posted....losing my mind, and so early, too :)

Yes, we are very blessed and I fully realize that to whom much is given much is expected. One of the reasons we choose Guatemala over other countries is because of its proximity....makes multiple childhood trips a better possibility. Also, it's a culture I'm more comfortable with than others. So, all in all, it's a good fit for both of us and I have high hopes that ds will have good, solid, recallable memories of Guatemala as well, of course, as America.

Interesting points, P. Yes, a mother's voice is soothing to a newborn, but my godson soothed and calmed to my voice at two days old. Because of my consistent presence in his life (see him almost every day and he often has overnights), he showed clear signs of separation anxiety when he wasn't with me. Sometimes, he was inconsolable and his mom would call me and I would go over and he would calm to my touch and voice almost immediately. He wanted me and my touch even though I wasn't his biological mom. Newborns also calm to womb sounds, which I find interesting, too.

Great stuff, P....so glad to have found this blog :)

GDS said...

Ditto to what Tishslp said on Guatemala. Also the more common use of foster care during the early months, allows for children to learn how to attach.
Still, there's a trauma involved when being brought into the US, and we plan to deal very carefully with that.

Interesting article, I'm sure more research could be done in this area.

Unknown said...

Heh? You think you've taught me something here? Once again you make gross misjudgements about who you think I am.

I happen to think that primal wound theory is just utter crap. If I were somehow wounded permanently as a kid by having been adopted, I wouldn't have the life that I have. The only thing I REALLY agree with, is that if it DID somehow affect me, it's only made me stronger.

But honestly, who cares. This adoptee wouldn't change a thing about her life, except for maybe having been told by my parents rather than strangers that I was adopted. But honestly, I got over it. Now tht my parents have died, do you think I worry about that one detail of my life?? snort. I don't think so.

Just because I think you pick on sad unhappy people, and give my fellow Christians a bad name, does not mean I'm anti-adoption. Give your head a shake, they are two mutually exclusive concepts.

Now let's see... are you actually going to POST this, or do we all get to laugh at you some more... I placed my bet on posting, so don't let me down now, ya hear!

petunia said...

Wow Miss we do agree on something. I don't agree with the Primal wound and I'm a pretty strong person too. I also think it was wrong to tell you so late about your adoption. But I'm starting to think the trauma of your adoption has left you a little "wounded". You do need some serious therapy.

And by the way, something like %80 of the U.S. call themselves Christians so I won't take it as an insult that you include yourself in the group. Christians mean Christ-like and you have not tried at all to be that. I think all these great gals and I will be saying prayers for you! Talk to a good pastor.

Happy said...

okey doke kiddo, I sent you an invitation to the book club chat room and the blog if you would like to post a book suggestion or whatever.

Hmmm, I see that Miss is at it again. I notice that people came to your defense which is nice.

MomEtc. said...

I think I'm going to blog about this.......I don't think anyone really knows what the infant mind is capable of.

MomEtc. said...

Oh, but I should add that I am going to blog about it on my "serious" blog....

www.thevoyage.wordpress.com