Bonding behaviors that so many mothers and fathers learned through their own parents example are frequently taken for granted as instinctual and natural.  Everybody knows you need to smile at your baby--right?  No!  Sadly, this is not always the case.

Highly stressed parents--especially mothers who are heavily distracted, have not had healthy relationships in their own lives, are severely ill, are addicted to chemical substances, institutionalized, incarcerated or are otherwise so stressed that "natural" bonding gestures are either downgraded in importance or simply aren't there at all, may not bond with their infant.

Bonding behavior such as holding an infant as she nurses, looking baby in the eyes while talking to her, keeping baby close as often as possible so that she feels and hears her parents' heartbeat, reading to an infant and responding appropriately to a baby's signals are key to laying the groundwork of emotional well-being that all humans need in order to grow into emotionally healthy, happy, functional and well-adjusted adults.