Between 8 and 12 months of age—around the same time they understand the meaning of a fearful face—babies begin to produce fearful expressions and other fear-based behaviors, like clinging to a parent, making distressed sounds, or turning away.
Even from a very early age when their nervous systems are still developing, babies can feel frightened. These fears will morph as children grow older and become more familiar with their fears and how things work.
Babies: First frights
Infants come into the world with no real awareness of its dangers. Even so, they're hardwired to reflexively bawl at sudden loud noises and cling if they sense they're falling. It's at 6 or 7 months that many babies actually feel afraid.
Young babies normally respond with a startle or fright when there is a sudden noise or a change in the way they are held. One of their primitive reflexes, known as the Startle or Moro reflex, causes them to react this way, particularly when they feel insecure.
Prevent, Distract, Redirect: Months 4-9
Parents can set limits for babies by preventing them from grabbing the wrong things (babyproofing an area), distracting them (using a silly voice), and redirecting (engaging them with a toy).
It is a typical stage of development for children this age to start developing fears. It's actually a sign that their neurological system, which alerts them to danger, is developing, so it's a good thing.
But many first-time parents find that after the first month of parenthood, it can actually get more difficult. This surprising truth is one reason many experts refer to a baby's first three months of life as the “fourth trimester.” If months two, three, and beyond are tougher than you expected, you're not alone.
It's the time when babies begin to develop a separate sense of self, an important step in growing up. They are afraid because they know the difference between people they see all the time and strangers. They become upset when someone they don't know is around them. Some babies cry or whimper with genuine fear.
They might suddenly extend their arms and legs, arch their back, and then curl everything in again. Your baby may or may not cry when they do this. This is an involuntary startle response called the Moro reflex. Your baby does this reflexively in response to being startled.
Trauma can have a serious effect on babies and toddlers. Many people wrongly believe that babies do not notice or remember traumatic events. In fact, anything that affects older children and adults in a family can also affect a baby, but they may not be able to show their reactions directly, as older children can.
Fear of strangers is very common. It happens as your baby develops a healthy attachment to familiar people – like you. Because babies prefer familiar adults, they might react to strangers by crying or fussing, going very quiet, looking fearful or hiding.
"When babies cry because of anger or fear, they keep their eyes open but keep them closed when crying in pain," states the researcher. As for the dynamic of the cry, both the gestures and the intensity of the cry gradually increase if the baby is angry.
We are born with only two innate fears: the fear of falling and the fear of loud sounds. A 1960 study evaluated depth perception among 6- to14-month-old infants, as well as young animals.
“The startling reflex, known to physicians as the Moro reflex, is usually caused when your baby's head changes position or falls back abruptly, or when she hears a loud or unusual noise,” explains Rallie McAllister, MD, MPH, a family physician and coauthor of The Mommy MD Guide to Your Baby's First Year.
Infants feel stranger anxiety.
When babies are about 8–9 months old, they can recognize the faces of people they know. That's why new faces can seem scary to them — even a new babysitter or relative. They may cry or cling to a parent to feel safe.
Your baby also may become afraid of objects and situations that she used to take in stride. At this age, fears of the dark, thunder, and loud appliances such as vacuum cleaners are common.
They become quite independent as they reach 5-6 years of age, even wanting to help you with some of the chores! This is probably why most parents look at age 6 as the magical age when parenting gets easier.
By 6 or 7 months of age, your baby may need some things but want others. At that point, you may be able to resist their demands a little. It's not so much that you're spoiling them if you “give in” to their every wish, but it may be more beneficial to help them understand some limits (often for their own safety).
The years between eight and thirteen can leave you feeling like a parenting beginner all over again. They bring backchat, rudeness, defiance, highly emotive responses (SO many big emotions!), selfishness, “I hate yous”, sulking and door slamming.
Baby's First Fears
Newborns have two fears: loud noises and falling. "Babies' brains and nerves grow rapidly in the first two years of life, but they are born with very immature nervous systems," says Dr. Brown.
Signs and symptoms
clinging to parents. extreme crying or temper tantrums when separated from parent or primary caregiver. refusing to do things that require separation. refusal to sleep alone or waking frequently in the night, crying out.
In 1998, Harvard research showed that babies who cried excessively were susceptible to stress as adults, and sensitive to future trauma. Chronic stress in infancy can also lead to an over-active adrenaline system, causing anti-social and aggressive behavior, and even affect physical illness far into the future.
Yes, it's perfectly normal for your baby to appear angry sometimes. It can be very upsetting to see your baby distressed, but this is something most babies go through from time to time.