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.
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.
In newborn babies, common baby fears include loud noises, falling, separation from parents, and strangers.
On first glance, developmental research appears to support evolutionary accounts of snake and spider fears, suggesting the infants have a predisposition to quickly fear these animals. For example, infants show more robust and faster associations between snakes and fearful voices than between snakes and happy voices.
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.
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.
Common fears for babies
Separation from their 'special people', even for short periods of time, can cause considerable anxiety and plenty of crying. Similarly, many babies prefer the exclusive company of their special people so much that they develop a fear of strangers for a while.
MYTH: Babies are scared of the dark.
FACT: Babies are not scared of the dark. They have nothing to base that fear on, since their imagination doesn't develop until around 2 years of age. In the womb it is dark (and noisy) and so, like other mammals, babies actually find the dark comforting, safe and calming.
"The prickly texture and feel of grass are far different [from the] softer and more comfortable feeling of carpet, tile, and wood surfaces on their feet, hands, and body, so babies are often scared of it," notes Gina Posner, M.D., a pediatrician at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California ...
Because older toddlers don't show fear in response to the real live animals, the fear itself is probably not innate. Instead, babies probably recognize the snakes and spiders as a potential threat, which suggests that they're prepped to become afraid of them later in life, Rakison says.
It is not easy to know why a newborn cries, especially amongst first-time parents. Although the main reasons are hunger, pain, anger and fear, adults cannot easily recognise which emotion is the cause of the tears.
Young kids fear "pretend" things.
To them, the scary monsters they imagine seem real. They fear what might be under their bed or in the closet. Many are afraid of the dark and at bedtime. Some are afraid of scary dreams.
However, recent research into the way our brains begin to develop fear shows that babies might be immune to such phobias because they delight more in their own curious nature, unblemished by any outside apparatus that might tarnish that sense of wonder.
It is usually seen in children around 2 to 3 years old, and can last till the time they are around 5 years old. Fear develops when your little bundle of joy is old enough to have some imagination but is not yet old enough to distinguish between fantasy and reality.
Toddlers and preschoolers are often frightened of very specific things: bugs, dogs, the dark, clowns, or even the vacuum cleaner. Sometimes their fears are broader – many are afraid of new situations or meeting new people. Your child is especially vulnerable to fear at this age because of his highly active imagination.
Babies are fearless when it comes to heights. That woozy, faint feeling only starts kicking in around month nine, when babies begin to recoil from the edge of a steep staircase or the drop-off of a changing table.
Slobbering (kissing) you
As they like to copy you so much, your baby will try and copy your kisses to show how much they love you, it will be quite a while before they perfect the art of kissing so you may find it is more an open mouth over your nose or a suck of your cheek leaving a little slobber in its wake!
It's OK to let your baby cry if the baby doesn't seem sick and you've tried everything to soothe your baby. You can try to leave your baby alone in a safe place, such as a crib, for about 10 to 15 minutes. Many babies need to cry before they can fall asleep. And they'll nod off faster if you leave them to cry.
"Underlying a lot of parents' fears is a broad sense of economic insecurity," she says. "Parents are afraid that their children won't have an easy go of it because they aren't having an easy go of it. Many parents today are struggling to make ends meet, and they want a different kind of future for their kids."
Recent statistics indicate that the number one fear for men is acrophobia, the fear of heights. Acrophobia is, in fact, one of the more common phobias for both men and women.